Throughout much of the summer, we have heard that the Cowboys have not made much progress in contract talks with their top extension-eligible players. However, a report from earlier this week suggested that Dallas had a decent shot at reaching long-term pacts with wide receiver Amari Cooper and quarterback Dak Prescott before Week 1.

But if what Michael Lombardi of The Athletic hears is accurate, the optimism surrounding the Prescott negotiations may not be entirely well-founded. Per Lombardi’s sources, Prescott has turned down an offer that features an average annual value of $30M:

If Dak Prescott has turned down an offer in the 30 million per year range, which is what I am hearing, then he is nuts. Not a top-five quarterback

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) August 11, 2019

Recent reports have suggested that the Cowboys’ offer to Prescott would pay him like a top-five QB, and Matt Ryan‘s AAV of $30M is currently the fifth-highest in the league.

Of course, the real issue is how much guaranteed money the Cowboys are offering Prescott, and it seems unlikely that the team is anywhere close to the $94.5M in full guarantees that the Falcons gave Ryan. So while Lombardi may be right to call Prescott “nuts” for turning down a $30M/year proposal, we would need more details before assessing his decision one way or another.

We explored Prescott’s case for a new deal back in June. The two-time Pro Bowler is far from a perfect passer, but he has piloted his team to two playoff berths in his first three seasons in the league, and given the current climate, $30M/year is right around his fair market value.

— YARD BARKER