The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott still "working away" on a long-term extension on the eve of the team's opener against the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported on SportsCenter that a "gap" remains but that the team is hopeful of having something done in time for Sunday's game.

The Cowboys resolved one big contractual dilemma already when they handed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb a four-year, $136 million deal. Not only did that end Lamb's holdout, but it also provided the team with a better picture of its long-term salary cap flexibility before potentially committing to Prescott too.

For now, the three-time Pro Bowler is due to become a free agent in 2025.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported Tuesday on her Scoop City podcast the Cowboys are balking at the length of Prescott's next contract. The team is weighing whether it wants him on the payroll "longer than two, three, four years."

The trouble for Dallas is that Prescott's leverage is only going to increase — assuming he stays healthy and performs well in 2024 — once he enters the open market.

The 31-year-old is far and away the best quarterback poised to join the 2025 free-agent class, and the 2025 NFL draft is unlikely to have one clear prospect who stands above the rest. A bidding war for Prescott is inevitable if the Cowboys don't re-sign him before the league-wide negotiating window opens next spring.

That negotiations remain ongoing right up until the season kicks off seems to acknowledge the danger for Dallas in having Prescott on an expiring deal.