Dak Prescott proved my theory regarding player empowerment in team sports: The only way players are going to truly have leverage with teams is to reach, or at least reach the precipice of, free agency. Prescott used the leverage he had over the Cowboys, not as a free agent but as close as one could get to being one, to negotiate a strong contract, especially compared to similarly situated quarterbacks.
Leveraging the Joneses
I wrote back in August 2019 that Prescott’s best option was simply to wait—and wait he did. I found it amusing that when Prescott suffered a season-ending injury last season, many used the worn clichés that he should have taken a deal from the Cowboys, that he lost leverage, that he bet on himself and lost.