Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Expected to Garner $40M Annually on 2021 Deal

Dak Prescott

Getty Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott enjoyed a “great day” Saturday in his quest to land a long-term contract next offseason.

This, the opinion of CBS Sports NFL salary cap expert and former agent Joel Corry, who explained that Prescott’s future price tag skyrocketed in the wake of Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson’s four-year, $156 million extension.

“Unless Prescott has a serious regression this season, he should get to the $40M per year mark if he signs a long term deal with the Cowboys in 2021,” Corry tweeted.

Watson, who received $111 million guaranteed ($73.7 million guaranteed at signing), becomes the league’s second-highest-paid signal-caller behind Kansas City’s reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes, who, of course, landed a record-setting $503 million contract earlier this offseason.

“Deshaun Watson’s contract extension confirms for Dak Prescott that he has been right in insisting on a 4 year deal,” Corry tweeted.

Prescott and the Cowboys staged dragged-out negotiations over the last 10 months that failed to result in an agreement before the July 15 deadline. And, indeed, Prescott’s reluctance to ink a five-year commitment, paired with his supposed desire to cross the $40 million annual barrier, torpedoed the talks.

Rather than tie himself to the team longer than he prefers, the two-time Pro Bowl passer opted to play the 2020 campaign on his fully-guaranteed $31.4 million franchise tag. Dak holds all the cards: he’s either tagged again in 2021 at a cost of $37.7 million or, as an unrestricted free agent, nets his sought-after windfall — be it from the Cowboys or another suitor.

The sides cannot resume discussions until the regular season concludes. But it’s immaterial at this juncture. Corry echoed the widely-accepted criticism that Dallas’ front office cost itself millions, and perhaps its franchise QB, by punting the proverbial can down the road.

“Typically, the longer a team waits to sign a good core player or Pro Bowl caliber player, the more it costs in the long run. Dak Prescott should become another example of this,” Corry tweeted.

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