‘Muddied the waters’… Dallas Cowboys star has ‘complicated’ decision with 2023 performances

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Dak Prescott was an MVP contender for the 2023 regular season but now faces the reality of being a free agent in 2025.

In January, America’s Team crashed out of the playoffs to the youngest team in the NFL.

Mike McCarthy’s old franchise the Green Bay Packers handed the Cowboys another early postseason exit.

Prescott delivers his worst performance in the 2023 postseason

Dak Prescott played one of his worst games in his playoff career.

The 30-year-old threw two interceptions and achieved a quarterback rating of 89.8.

Jordan Love for the Packers scored a perfect rating of 157.2.

Additionally, Prescott was sacked four times and one of his picks was returned for a touchdown in the first half.

The Cowboys trailed by 32 points as they entered the fourth quarter and Prescott inflated his stats with garbage time drives.

Prescott is an MVP-level player in 2023

In the regular season, Prescott produced one of his best seasons in a Cowboys jersey.

He threw the most touchdowns in the league (36) and registered the most completions (410).

Moreover, the fourth-round pick in 2016 finished second in the MVP race, falling behind the dominant Lamar Jackson.

However, the night and day performances of the regular season and playoffs had exasperated the contract situation.

Prescott’s performances have ‘muddied the water’ for Dallas

On First Things First, Nick Wright explained how the Cowboys are in a sticky situation because of Prescott’s differentiating displays: “I think this past season was a worst-case scenario from a Dak contract… standpoint.

“You got the best and the worst mixed into one. In the regular season, he (Prescott) has the best one (season) of his career, he’s a legitimate MVP candidate… and in the playoffs, he has arguably his worst postseason game as a significant favorite.

“The point is it really complicated the situation. If Dak had just been bad it’s easy. He was so good in the regular season and then so bad along with his teammates in the playoffs, it muddied the waters entirely.”

The front office’s decision has been made harder because of the seismic difference in Prescott’s performances.

Therefore, they have decided to make him play out his deal.

Prescott needs to satisfy Jones to earn top-dollar

If Prescott does deliver in the postseason, then Jones may consider providing Prescott the money he craves.

This move does show the Cowboys do not have faith in Prescott as they are not showing him the money.

Furthermore, Prescott will play knowing he can get a top-of-the-market deal come the 2025 free agency.