Andrew Dawson, Staff Writer |
The Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a four-year deal worth up to $160 million. First reported by NFL reporter Adam Schefter, $126 million will be guaranteed, setting a record amongst the rest of football. Prescott will make $75 million in the first year of his deal and has a $66 million signing bonus. The contract also includes a no-trade clause and a no-tag provision.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “The truth is most anything that I’ve ever been involved in that ended up being special, I overpaid for, every time, to the end.” Jones admitted he overpaid to keep Prescott a member of the Cowboys.
Prescott is now the second-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL behind 2020 Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has played in the Super Bowl twice in his three seasons as starting quarterback and his record is 1-1. Prescott has been the Cowboys’ starting quarterback for the past five seasons, winning three division titles and having a 1-2 record in the playoffs. Many people believe Prescott was overpaid because he hadn’t proved himself in the playoffs. However, players around the league congratulated Prescott on his contract via Twitter, including Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey said, “It’s always earned… nobody just giving out free money lol… Congrats Dak.”
Baltimore Ravens defensive end, Calais Campbell, said, “Love to see Dak get what he deserves! Much deserved.”
Prescott’s impressive contract will cause the quarterback market to become more expensive. There are many talented quarterbacks nearing the final years of their contracts, including San Francisco’s quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo is set to become a free agent after the 2022 season and he will be seeking a high-paying contract. Garoppolo’s current contract is worth $137.5 million and he has led the 49ers to a Super Bowl back in the 2019-2020 NFL Season.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is unhappy with the Texans organization, demanding a trade back in early February. Watson is one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks and several teams are interested in trading for him including the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins. However, because of Prescott’s new contract, the Texans will be seeking a more valuable trade for Watson. In February, Schefter believed the Texans would trade Watson for three first-round picks and a significant player. Now the Texans may be seeking an additional first-round pick and another talented player. The Jets would be a perfect landing spot for Watson because they have multiple first-round picks they can trade and have a young talented quarterback, Sam Darnold, they are willing to give up.
The Chicago Bears are rumored to be interested in Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson. Wilson has been frustrated with the Seahawks organization because they haven’t focused on drafting or signing an offensive line that will protect him. Wilson said on “The Dan Patrick Show” in early February that he hopes to have a “more involved” role going forward. According to ESPN, if a trade does eventually happen, these are the teams Wilson is considering playing for: the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and the Chicago Bears. The Bears are aggressively pursuing Wilson and may have the pieces to trade for him. The Bears have several first-round picks they are willing to trade for Wilson. However, Chicago may have to trade more than first-round picks to land him because of Prescott’s new contract. The Bears might have to part ways with outside linebacker, Khalil Mack, or cornerback, Kyle Fuller, to make the deal happen.
Dak Prescott’s contract may have changed the NFL as we know it. Around the league, Prescott is not considered a top player at his position, causing other quarterbacks to possibly ask for more money when they begin their contract negotiations. This could have an effect on the NFL because teams may have to overpay for quarterbacks, which could cause teams to not be able to afford other high-caliber players because of the NFL’s salary cap. The only thing that remains clear is the quarterback market has just become more expensive.
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