Cowboys QB Dak Prescott makes important clarification on his recent comments that lit up the internet

Earlier this week, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott lit up the internet by dropping a quote indicating that he's unafraid of playing elsewhere if it comes to that as negotiations with the front office continue ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

"You know, I'm going to say it, I want to be here but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I've watched, they've played for other teams," Prescott candidly told reporters on Thursday, the first day of training camp. "So my point in saying that is that that's not something to fear.

Naturally, Prescott's words carried a lot of weight as everyone took them as a big message targeted at the team's executives. If they want to keep the second-team All-Pro quarterback, they'll need to pay up what he's worth. It was the quote of a quarterback confident in his play and leverage as no one can keep him from testing free agency in 2025 thanks to his no-tag, no-trade clause.

On Saturday, however, Prescott made a very important clarification on his comments: It was not him setting the table for an exit but rather a stoic realization of his current situation.

"It's just understanding that this is is a business, at the end of the day, yes it's a kids' game, (...) but at the end of the day the reality of it it's business," Prescott said on NFL Network. "I don't want to play anywhere else, I love being a Dallas Cowboy, love these fans, but when you look up and as I said, I've watched all the quarterbacks that I've grown up watching, they played for other teams. Sure, I don't want to do that but if that comes, that'll just be a reality I have to face."

Prescott was asked by Jane Slater if it was money or something else, such as respect, that motivates him career-wise.

"It's definitely not the money, I guess you can say a little bit of it is the respect," Prescott said. "And at the same sense what motivates me is just coming out here each and every day getting better. And being able to control that, I'm at peace with. And that's where the freedom comes from is this is what I love more than anything. Being out here on this grass with my teammates, sharing the game, getting better at the game. That when you focus on that, the money comes. And as you said these other guys (recently-extended Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love), they're the ones setting the bar in that and as I said it's an obligation that I have to my team, my family, and to the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL."

Per reporters, Stephen Jones said the Cowboys submitted another offer to the quarterback (and to CeeDee Lamb) earlier in the week, but it would seem like that happened before the statements made by Prescott since Thursday.

For now, fans wait to see if a deal gets done before the start of the 2024 season.

Related: It sounds like the Cowboys are a step closer to extending WR CeeDee Lamb to end his holdout