CAA will not negotiate with Jerry right now. They don't negotiate with anybody. It's top dollar or nothing with them.
Dak is banking on the CBA coming in soon with a much higher salary cap. That will put quarterbacks in the $50 million per year range. That's what they are waiting for.
No, quarterbacks will not be in the $50 million range, the top salary now is Wilson's $35 million, no way will the top salary jump up 40% or more in one year, eventually it will get to $50 million, but we're talking about Dak signing this year or this off season, wasn't the rumor he wanted $40 million? That's in itself a jump of only 14%, far below the 25% a salary of $50 million would be, over a theoretical $40 million, if Dak got that. Look at the history of the top quarterback salaries, it creeps up most years, doesn't make huge leaps, though it's happened a few times in the past.
Ultimately it's not up to CAA, it's up to Dak. CAA is Dak's agent, I seriously doubt he's signed a contract with them that gives them total control over what's accepted. But is Dak insistent on being the highest paid quarterback? You offer somebody something close to top dollar, and it's really, really tempting to take the offer. And there are different ways to be the "highest paid", is it the total contract, per year average or highest guaranteed? Dak could take an offer that fits any of those situations and still brag on being the "highest paid" quarterback.
And let's not forget, if Dak wants top dollar, just because Dallas doesn't give it to him, there's no guarantee any other team will. If teams truly want the "carry the team on his back" quarterback, I don't see that Dak is viewed as such, by ANY team in the league. Now would some team offer top dollar despite Dak not being able to "carry the team on his back", thinking they have or can build a top defense, top receiving corps or even top running game and Dak will be good enough to win rings? Sure, it's possible, some nutty owner like Dan Snyder could, just don't think it's likely.
Maybe, but Dak and his agent may not be able to know that, not signing with Dallas comes with the risk he'd not get as much as Dallas offered, ultimately.
Dak and CAA don't operate in a vacuum, and don't have just Dallas to contend with for a new contract, it's not cut and dried Dak will get $40 million or more just because Dallas didn't give it to him.
And it's also up to Jerry, I really think he views Dak like Jason, the "I'm smarter than anybody else, I'll show all you I saw in him what nobody else did" just to show that JERRY was the reason they won another Super Bowl or two or three, so I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he forked over $40 million to Dak....