Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb weren’t under contract with the Dallas Cowboys three weeks ago. Fearing that Lamb’s protest would prolong into the regular season, Dallas, with two weeks remaining before the first game of the season, signed Lamb to a massive four-year extension.
The Cowboys had a limited window of time to sign Prescott before to the season opener in Cleveland because of this. It wouldn’t have shocked anyone if the 31-year-old decided to put off talks until after the season, even if Prescott didn’t rule out that they wouldn’t continue during the season.
Cowboys supporters don’t have to worry about their franchise quarterback going undrafted in March. As Sunday’s game against the Browns approached, Dallas and Prescott reached a last-minute agreement at the buzzer that will make No. 4 the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Prescott agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract extension. This not only puts him over Jordan Love in terms of average yearly worth, but it also makes him the most paid player in the league. Jones is, to put it mildly, dedicated to Prescott being the main man in Dallas.
A simple reading of the tea leaves over the last few days hinted that the two sides were nearing an agreement. Not only was Prescott oddly optimistic when asked about negotiations, but he even walked back last week’s explosive “says a lot of it is or it isn’t” comment about Sunday’s unofficial deadline.
Furthermore, would CeeDee Lamb really have committed to Dallas until 2029 if he didn’t think that Prescott would be getting him the ball?
Given Prescott’s polarizing status, folks will throw dirt on the Cowboys for giving a quarterback who “can’t win the big game” a record-breaking contract. However, teams don’t pay QBs based on playoff success or Super Bowl rings. They are paid for stability and the chance to reach the Super Bowl by making the postseason nearly every year.
Prescott has made Dallas a perennial lock to win double-digit games. He is six wins away from passing Tony Romo for the most wins as a starter in franchise history. Yes, Prescott needs to perform better in the playoffs, but his 2-5 record in the postseason is very misleading.
Prescott averages 280.3 passing yards per game in the playoffs to go with 14 touchdowns to seven interceptions and a 91.8 passer rating. Most QBs with those numbers would have at least a .500 record and yet, Prescott is 2-5.
The quarterback gets the most blame, but the idea that Dak is a choke artist and did not deserve this contract simply is not true.
Playoff success notwithstanding, the Cowboys had no choice but to pay Prescott. Teams would have been chomping at the bit to sign Prescott in free agency. Offers would have come in as high as $65 million per year. Maybe a desperate team would have climbed as high as $70.
You can argue where Dak ranks in the quarterback pecking order, but what is incontestable is that Dallas would not find anyone better if they moved on in 2025. Given their history of lucking into franchise QBs post-Troy Aikman, odds are it would have taken a while for them to find Prescott’s successor.
The Cowboys damaged their future cap by waiting until the eleventh hour to sign Prescott (and Lamb), but there is also a sense of calmness and security that they don’t have to worry about the QB position for the foreseeable future.
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