Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains confident in Dak Prescott.
Dak Prescott’s contract looks better and better for the Dallas Cowboys as more star quarterbacks agree to new extensions. Prescott’s four-year, $160 million deal runs through the 2024 season meaning the two parties have plenty of time to agree to a new contract. By comparison, Kyler Murray inked a five-year, $230 million contract this offseason giving him an average annual salary of $46 million, per Spotrac.
Prescott is not phased by the lucrative contracts that other quarterbacks signed this offseason. The Cowboys quarterback noted he is “damn sure not paying attention” to other quarterback’s negotiations.
“Not at all, I told you guys I wasn’t paying attention much when mine was going on, so damn sure not paying attention now that it’s other guys,” Prescott explained during a July 28, 2022 press conference. “So, happy for all of ’em, good for the league and I’m sure it’ll just continue to go that way.”
Prescott was then asked what his response would be if the Cowboys approached him about signing a contract extension. The Cowboys quarterback politely deflected the question noting it would be a “private conversation” with the franchise.
“I guess that [those] talks will have to happen in a private conversation,” Prescott added.
Prescott Is Likely to be Reluctant to Sign a Contract Extension Soon
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott couldn’t have placed this deep ball to WR CeeDee Lamb any better.
ESPN’s Todd Archer noted that the Cowboys should explore signing Prescott to a new contract sooner rather than later for two key reasons. History tells us that the latest star quarterback to sign an extension typically becomes the highest-paid player at the position. This is going to be expedited with the salary cap expected to rise drastically in coming years as a result of the new television deals.
This means the cost of an NFL starting quarterback is only going to go up, but Prescott’s representatives also know this reality. From a financial perspective, Prescott is likely to be reluctant to sign a new deal any time soon.
“I wouldn’t do it with where the money is going with the quarterbacks and where the salary cap is going with the new TV deal,” an agent told Archer when asked about a new contract for Prescott. “He is already set for life. Why not wait? If Dak did it, it would be to help the team build around him.”
McCarthy: ‘The Super Bowl Is Won by the Quarterback’
DeMarcus Lawrence. Dak Prescott and a Jalen Tolbert TD catch. Lawrence goes inside with the pressure.
For now, Prescott is focused on the upcoming season, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has consistently praised the quarterback’s offseason work. McCarthy also made it clear that the Cowboys will only go as far as Prescott can take them in the postseason.
“Oh no, I don’t think he’s a finished product but where I see him grow, I don’t know if there’s an area that he hasn’t grown, to be honest with you,” McCarthy remarked during a July 28 press conference. “You look at his physical conditioning, he weighs the same, but he’s obviously more leaner, more flexible. He’s put a tremendous amount of work into that, so you’re seeing that pay off. I think his ability to throw from different arm slots, I think you’re seeing an increase in ability there and that’s obviously a tribute to his training and the extra work that he puts in, just like anything.
“This offense is built around making the quarterback successful and this is Dak Prescott’s offense. And I think you see him really taking ownership of that because, at the end of the day, defense wins championships but the Super Bowl is won by the quarterback. I think if you just look at that statistically, I mean, that’s my opinion. That’s how I view the journey and the vision of how you prepare your team and what the team needs to look like. And I think he’s a guy that emulates exactly what you’re looking for, because he’s always working to improve in all the areas.”