Odds Favor Dak Prescott Not Being a Cowboy Week 1 of 2021 Season
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: March 9, 2021 at 4:21 pm ESTPublished:
- History, and a new prop wager, are both suggesting that Dak Prescott won’t be with the Dallas Cowboys to start the 2021 NFL season
- Logic suggests that Prescott isn’t going anywhere. Which thought process should bettors follow?
- Analysis of the odds and predictions on the likely outcome follow below
Dak Prescott is a Dallas Cowboy. For now. But for how much longer will Prescott be part of America’s team?
America is being told that this timeline will be not much longer.
A new prop wager is making Prescott playing for another NFL team in Week 1 of the 2021 season the odds-on -200 favorite.
Last week, the Cowboys and Prescott failed to come to an agreement on a new contract. That means he’ll play this season on the franchise tag. Prescott will earn $31.4 million on a one-year deal.
Odds Dak Prescott on Dallas Cowboys Roster for Week 1 of 2021 NFL Season
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| No | -200 |
| Yes | +150 |
Odds taken July 20th
Every previous QB to be franchised left for a new team following the season.
Future of the Franchise
This is just the third time in NFL history that a team’s starting QB was entering the season wearing the franchise tag. So far, the two previous teams are batting .000 when it comes to getting that QB’s name on a new deal.
In 2005, the San Diego Chargers franchised Drew Brees. The next year, Brees signed a a six-year, $60-million deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Washington ended up opting to franchise Kirk Cousins twice – in 2016 and 2017. He signed a three-year, $84-million pact with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
There’s a lesson to be taken from each of these previous instances that apply to Prescott’s situation. The Brees scenario was similar in that he was just completing his fifth NFL season. Prescott is entering his fifth season. Brees was 27 at the time. Prescott will be 27 next season.
The difference is that Brees suffered a torn labrum in the last game of the 2005 season and his health was uncertain.
In the case of Cousins, he signed for the kind of numbers that Prescott is seeking from the Cowboys.
Dak Digs Dallas
When last Wednesday’s deadline passed without the two sides agreeing on a new contract, Prescott was quick to express his unconditional love for Dallas.
“I’m a Cowboy and couldn’t be happier,” Prescott told USA Today. “I look forward to working alongside coach McCarthy, the staff, and my teammates to be the best team we can be in pursuit to our goal of a Super Bowl.”
Dak Prescott suffered 43 drops in 2019, most in the NFL.
The Cowboys were still #1 in yards per pass play (7.5) pic.twitter.com/QlwS0AHtty
— PFF (@PFF) July 16, 2020
Prescott is coming off his best statistical season, passing for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns. However, the Cowboys went 8-8, missing the playoffs.
New coach McCarthy is an offensive guru. With weapons such as running back Ezekiel Elliott and receivers Amari Cooper and rookie CeeDee Lamb at his disposal, Prescott could be in line for another monster season.
Prescott Will Get Paid
The Indianapolis Colts are listed as the +600 chalk to be Prescott’s team next season if he does leave Dallas. Oddly enough, Indy just signed Philip Rivers, the guy who replaced Brees with the Chargers in 2006.
Wherever he ends up, there’s no doubt that Prescott will be cashing hefty checks. The NFL Network is reporting that the Cowboys are offering him a five-year contract worth between $33-35 million per year, with $110 million in guarantees.
#Cowboys QB @dak is the 8th QB to be designated a franchise player since 1993 but only 2 have actually played a season under the tag
• Drew Brees in 05 (Chargers)
• Kirk Cousins in 16 & 17 (Redskins)Both would go on to sign deals with a different team the following season
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) May 27, 2020
Prescott would’ve earned $70 million over the first two years of this deal.
The hangup between Prescott and Dallas appears to be more about term than finances. He wants a four-year deal, one year less than the team,.
This seems like an issue the two sides can work out.
Pick: Yes (+150)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
