The stage was set for the two sides to meet in the middle. In the end, the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott could never agree on what the middle really was.
The signing deadline for franchise-tagged players came and went for the Cowboys and Prescott to ratchet down and work out an extension Wednesday, ending hopes that both would surrender a little territory now to shape the entire kingdom together in the long term. But there was no extension to be had. And despite what anyone might report about which side was ready to get a deal done, multiple sources familiar with the negotiations told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that it was never near a home stretch.