DeMarcus Lawrence: Cowboys are going to have to pay Dak Prescott

[Rowdy]

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Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has as good a read on quarterback Dak Prescott‘s situation with the Cowboys as anyone.

Lawrence wanted a long-term deal with the team in 2018, which is what Prescott wants now, but got franchise-tagged and never worked out a new contract with the team. He produced another double-digit sack season in 2018, which led to another tag in 2019.

That one was shorter-lived, however, because the Cowboys eventually made him the highest-paid defensive end in the league before the start of last season. That experience leaves Lawrence with the feeling that the Cowboys are going to wind up paying Prescott now or later.

“All the chips are in his hands,” Lawrence said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He will do the same. Just having that pressure on you there is only one thing to do that is to achieve. I feel he is going to do that. . . . He knows the situation and what to prepare for. I feel he is the ultimate leader. Understanding his character, I know Dak is going to be ready for this position. When he thrives there is nothing nobody can say, y’all are going to have to pay him his money.”

The Cowboys offered Prescott a contract worth $33 million a year before using the tag and there’s been no word of other talks since the tag was applied last Monday.