Cowboys legend Troy Aikman shares prediction on Dak Prescott's long-term future with team

Dak Prescott stepped in for an injured Tony Romo during his rookie season in 2016 and helped guide the Dallas Cowboys to an eight-game winning streak, cementing himself as the team's starting quarterback.

Prescott's eight years as a starting NFL quarterback have been productive, especially in the regular season. The 30-year-old is about to enter the final year of his contract, which carries an estimated $59 million salary cap hit in 2024.

Prescott's future in Dallas has been widely discussed in recent weeks, with some speculating the Cowboys may go in a different direction at quarterback. 

Cowboys quarterback legend and three-time Super Bowl winner Troy Aikman weighed in on the topic and expressed optimism about Prescott's long-term future in Dallas.

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Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, left, shakes hands with FOX sportscaster and former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman before a game at AT&T Stadium Dec. 15, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

"I think he'll, I don't know, I've been listening to you guys on television and on radio. They have to do his deal, don't they? They have to free up some money, so he'll be here for a little while longer, and he should be," Aikman said during a recent appearance at the Children's Cancer Fund's A Knight to Remember Gala.

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Aikman added that Prescott has shown he can produce in the NFL and has a bright future.

"He's proven he can play at a high level, and I know that they've come up short as a team in the last few years, but he's been a great player in this league, and his best years are still ahead of him," Aikman said. 

Troy Aikman, left, talks with Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys before a game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium Nov. 22, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Earlier this year, longtime Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the franchise was "all in" on Prescott.

"I would anticipate, with looking ahead at our key contracts that we'd like to address, we will be all in," Jones said at this year's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. If the Cowboys and Prescott's representatives can reach an agreement on a contract extension, it would presumably reduce his hefty cap hit for the 2024 season.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)

Prescott finished the 2024 season with 4,516 passing yards, the second-highest total of his career. His touchdown-to-interception ratio also improved last year. He threw for 36 touchdowns against nine interceptions after throwing 15 interceptions in 12 regular-season games in 2022.

The Cowboys have finished with 12 wins three consecutive years but have struggled in the postseason. The Packers upset Dallas in the wild-card round in January.

Aikman's recent comments are just the latest in a string of compliments the legendary Cowboys player has directed toward Prescott. 

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"I still believe in Dak," Aikman said in January, shortly after the disappointing playoff loss to Green Bay. "I feel like until you do it, there are always those criticisms. Peyton Manning heard that his first three years — he didn't win a playoff game — and then you look back at it now, and you can't imagine anybody would question whether or not he could win a playoff game."

Prescott has also recently expressed confidence he and the franchise will come to an agreement on a contract extension.

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