When it comes to a teammate’s contract situation, a player’s best play is to say nothing at all.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently took a different approach.
“Georges loves football“Prescott said recently. “That’s the only thing about it. I just want him to know, don’t change your love for football. Don’t get caught up in commercialism.
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“He played last year (the final year of his rookie contract), right? So if you can make $30 (million), whatever it is now, that’s the same thing I got when I franchised. Hey, go for it. At the end of the day, bet on yourself. He’s a heck of a player. Hopefully we can get him long term and sign that, but otherwise, I think the way he plays the game and the person he is, everything will be fine.”
But this advice misses the point – in several ways.
First, the $27.298 million franchise tag for receivers is ridiculously lower than the current $40 million market for the position. And that’s before Colts receiver Alec Pierce (who led the league in yards per catch over the past two seasons) was paid on the open market, and before Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba got his second contract in Seattle. Is the title much more than last year’s second-round rookie contract for Pickens? Yes. Is this relevant? No.
Second, Prescott’s 2020 cap hit was $31.4 million. At the time of signing, the maximum contract amount was $35 million. Even after Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year extension averaging $45 million per year, Prescott’s $31.4 million ranked seventh among all quarterbacks. Pre-free agency, Pickens ranks 13th.
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Third, franchise quarterbacks will reach multiple long-term deals. (Prescott has already signed two.) High-end receivers typically earn a major contract during their career. And the franchise tag delays that for Pickens for a full year. Next year, the Cowboys will be able to tag Pickens again, at a value well below the market value of $32.758 million. He may have to spend two more years of his capital at below-market rates before entering the open market.
Fourth, a serious injury has a much greater impact on a non-quarterback. During his franchise year, Prescott suffered a compound fracture of his ankle. And that didn’t stop Prescott from getting a four-year, $160 million contract the following March. If a non-quarterback suffers this type of injury, he will have to prove he is healthy before receiving a significant amount of money. (Example: Tyreek Hill has been available for over two weeks and there has barely been a hint of potential interest in his services.)
So what should Prescott have said? How about something like this: “George is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He deserves every dollar he can get.”
Maybe Pickens won’t mind the comments. Perhaps he knows that the quarterback is by definition a business man. Maybe Dak explained this to him in private. (Plus, it’s not like Dak went after Brett Favre, who actively campaigning against receiver Javon Walker getting a new contract in 2005.)
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Still, it’s a minefield for any player to talk about another player’s contract. And it underscores the fact that the Cowboys and Pickens are now engaged in a high-stakes game of chess, checkers and chicken, with a deadline of July 15 to reach a long-term deal.
