Jerry Jones not sure if Cowboys can re-sign Dak Prescott and field a successful team

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys ‘tried to turn up the heat’ this offseason. Craig Carton, Danny Parkins and Mark Schlereth discuss whether this is accurate.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed ongoing contract negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott in an interview with Stephen A. Smith Wednesday. 

Jones expressed skepticism the team could afford to re-sign Prescott to a new contract and have enough salary cap space to sign other key players. 

Jones pointed to recent restructuring of contracts that will ensure the Cowboys have to continue paying Prescott millions after this year whether he re-signs or not. Prescott will count $40 million against the team's salary cap in 2025 if he ends up on another team.

"We have the challenge of not only recouping what we have spent on him over the last four years, we’ve gotta add that to what we’re gonna be paying him for the future," Jones said. "That’s not Dak’s problem on the end that it’s the Dallas Cowboys’ problem because that money is not going to be there to spend on supporting cast." 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys before a game against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium Dec. 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

In March, the Cowboys converted Prescott's $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and added two more voidable years. That move freed up $4 million in cap space this year, knocking down his cap hit to $55.4 million. However, that $4 million doesn't go away. It moves to next year's dead cap money, which is now over $40 million in 2025, just for Prescott.

Now, Prescott, 31, figures to become a free agent at the end of this season while taking on a historic $55