Andy Dalton signing and what it means for Dak Prescott.

The Dallas Cowboys were able to secure the services of Andy Dalton on a one year deal for a very small price. It was a good move for the front office and a necessary one. Cooper Rush is not the answer as backup QB for the Cowboys and neither will 7th round pick Ben Dinucci. Andy Dalton is a veteran quarterback who started many games and has had some success in the NFL. Still, the signing of a starting calibre quarterback in Andy Dalton has made a few waves among Cowboys Nation because of the Dak Prescott contract situation.

Supporters of Dak Prescott know all to well that the starting QB has yet to sign a long term contract. The franchise tag guarantees only one more season if Dak decides to sign it and the fact that a deal has not yet been reached is both surprising and concerning. Some fans are freaking out thinking that the Cowboys are lining up a replacement for Dak Prescott in Andy Dalton if a deal can’t be reached.

Detractors of Dak Prescott see the signing of Andy Dalton as a sign that the team is not sold on Dak and are hoping that Dalton replaces him one way or another. These fans have been clamoring for a cheap free agent quarterback instead of paying Dak Prescott between $30 million and $40 million per year on a long term deal.

The truth is that both the fans in fear and those hoping to move on from Dak should not consider the Andy Dalton signing as threat to Prescott’s status as starting quarterback. The truth is, an upgrade at back up QB was necessity and Andy Dalton is certainly an upgrade over Cooper Rush. He also came with a Very cheap price tag for a QB. It is a prudent move not unlike we have seen the Saints and now the Eagles make as a contingency plan against injury, retirement, or other complications. It may be true that the urgency to sign a backup may have been expedited by the possibility of Dak holding out if a deal is not done but keep in mind Dalton was only signed on a one year deal. Andy Dalton is not the answer long term for the backup role and nor is he a long term answer if for whatever reason an agreement can’t be reached between the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott.

My gut feeling is that Dak Prescott will continue to play hard ball and the Dallas Cowboys will cave in and give him what he wants. That could mean Dak get’s signed for a four year deal instead of a five year deal but so be it. The Cowboys lost their opportunity to sign Dak for less money or a longer term by trying to play hardball with him last year. As we have seen with Ezekiel Elliott and DeMarcus Lawrence, the Cowboys will give in to demands if a player they want to sign makes a stand and the same will be true with Dak Prescott. So if you are at all worried or hopeful over the Andy Dalton signing, you can rest easy and accept that Dak Prescott will be the Dallas Cowboys starting QB in 2020.

*Photo by Eric Drost https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

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