The Dallas Cowboys are still negotiating a new contract with QB Dak Prescott and are likely to use the franchise tag on the former Mississippi State star this coming season.

Is Prescott the future of the franchise at the quarterback position or will 2020 be his last season in Dallas?

On Saturday, the Cowboys made waves, agreeing to a contract with former Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton:

That, naturally, sent shockwaves through the NFL world. But, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, the move had nothing to do with Prescott’s future:

 

Though the past couple of years have been rough for Dalton in Cincinnati, he has put together a pretty solid career thus far:

Former Cowboys star WR Dez Bryant took to Twitter after the Dalton deal, saying the Cowboys need to pay Prescott:

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler told SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm on Sunday morning that the Cowboys simply felt Dalton was too good of a value to pass up as a backup quarterback (via 247Sports):

“This is the Cowboys’ insurance and veteran play, but it doesn’t affect their negotiations with Dak Prescott,” Fowler said. “They still walked into that $31.4 million franchise tag and talks have been slow but steady. They’ve made some modest progress. They have until July 15 to hammer that out.

“And really, Hannah, I’m told the Cowboys did not plan to go the veteran quarterback route after the draft. They were going to stand pat with the Jameis Winston, Cam Newtons of the world. But when Andy Dalton became available later in the week, they simply saw him as good value. This is a guy who’s well respected around the league. He can start games for you or he can be a trusted backup. They felt it was a win for both sides.”

Other reactions to the Dalton signing were mixed:

This is certainly a big story in Dallas right now. We’ll see what happens with Prescott and the Cowboys in the coming weeks and months.