MOBILE, Ala. – The Cowboys have changed their play-caller. There will be a new offensive coordinator as well as a new quarterbacks coach for the 2023 season.
There will be new voices and faces surrounding Dak Prescott next season. But when it comes to the passing game, don't expect any other major changes for the Cowboys this year. In fact, the team's brass sounds rather confident that Prescott will not only be here for a while, but maybe even another … decade?
That's what Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said on Wednesday regarding Prescott, who turns 30 in July.
"Dak is going to be our guy for, hopefully the next 10 years," Jones said. "You say that's a long time because he's already played seven. But I think Dak will play that long because he takes care of himself, and he's driven to be great. We fully expect him to be here for 10 years."
If that's the case, that should answer the question about whether the Cowboys would like to extend Prescott's contract as early as this season, which would add years to the deal that has just two seasons remaining on it. But right now, Prescott's salary cap charge for 2023 is $49.1 million. The Cowboys could lower that to try and get under the cap and have flexibility to re-sign players and possibly add free agents.
And judging from Jones' comments, that's something the Cowboys would be interested in doing if, of course, Prescott is willing.
"It takes two parties to talk. Obviously, Dak is the key guy on this football team – first and foremost. No one respects him more than Jerry and myself," said Stephen Jones.
Also speaking this week from the Senior Bowl practices, Jerry Jones beamed with excitement over the growth potential of his quarterback. Prescott will now be working directly with head coach Mike McCarthy, who will call the plays for the offense this season. The Cowboys have interviewed outside candidates for the offensive coordinator position and will do the same for a new quarterbacks coach to replace both Kellen Moore and Doug Nussmeier, respectively. But working with McCarthy, who called the plays for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay for over a decade, Jones believes this will be a big opportunity for Prescott.
"It's a great way to now expand Dak's game and let him have the ability to take directly what Mike can give him as a (play-caller)," Jones said.
Prescott is coming off a season that not only included a broken thumb injury that sidelined him for five starts, but he returned to ignite an offense that finished fifth in the NFL in scoring at 27.3 points per game. With that also came an unusual number of interceptions as Prescott led the league with 15 picks. Not only was that total a career-high, but considering he had the second-fewest attempts of his career, it's an even more alarming number.
But Jerry Jones has full confidence in Prescott to not only "be better at turnovers" but to take it upon himself to make the necessary changes in his game.
"I'm not going to speak for him, but I don't know of anybody who probably looks in the mirror more than Dak and is into self-correcting, self-improvement," Jones said. "That's what he's about. That's the outstanding quality. He takes what he gets, he takes all he can get from Kellen or whether it's Mike, or whoever. He takes all he gets from his coaching and puts it on the practice field and he goes out there and is very open to doing it better."
