As the NFL closes in on the start of the regular season, the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott remain in a stalemate over a contract extension. Talks have been ongoing for months, and the sides still haven’t reached a deal. These same parties took two years before reaching an agreement on Prescott’s second contract.

At this point, the ball is in Prescott’s court, and it feels like he’s ready to hold it all the way to free agency.

Asked earlier this week after the Cowboys and receiver CeeDee Lamb reached an extension if he was next, Prescott told reporters: “Not really sure. Not my focus anymore, to be honest with you. Told you guys that. Really can’t say ever was really my focus. It’s about making myself and this team better, getting us in the best position and the most confident (position) to go up to Cleveland and start the season off with a win.”

Prescott is leaving the negotiations up to his agent, Todd France, and the Cowboys brass. Maybe something will get done in the coming days or weeks. After all, it only takes one phone call for things to change.

But the question now becomes: why would Prescott sign an extension? From a business standpoint, his best play is to reach free agency and see what his true market value is. Prescott, who is entering the final year of a four-year, $160 million contract extension he signed prior to the 2021 season, has no-trade, no-tag clauses.

In a quarterback-hungry industry such as the NFL, there is no greater premium than a franchise quarterback on the open market. Yes, Prescott is unquestionably a franchise quarterback, even with his lack of playoff success.

This is a quarterback who is coming off a career year in 2023, finishing runner-up in the MVP race. He threw for 4,516 yards and led the league in completions (410) and touchdown passes (36). What is that worth on the open market?

It could be $60 million or more. Who knows? The only thing for certain is that the baseline salary for Prescott should be $55 million annually, which is in line with the top-paid quarterbacks, including Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and Green Bay’s Jordan Love.

Prescott has made it clear throughout the offseason that going to free agency is not something he feared. There’s plenty of high-profile quarterbacks who have departed their original franchise, ranging from Tom Brady to Peyton Manning to Drew Brees to Joe Montana. The list goes on.

And Prescott reiterated this week that he doesn’t need a deal done before the season.

“I don’t need it, no,” he said. “I don’t.”

Asked if he’d like a deal done before the season, Prescott said: “I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn’t. But ‘however’ doesn’t really matter to me, to be honest with you.”

Owner Jerry Jones explained the organization’s mindset in terms of the extension, saying he had to weigh the consequences of such a deal.

“Dak’s situation right now for me, from my mirror, has more to do with our situation than it does with the merits of Dak Prescott being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said.

Read into that what you will.

At the end of the day, maybe the two sides come together and reach an agreement. It just doesn’t seem likely at this point.