After the news went out that the Cowboys finally agreed to terms with quarterback Dak Prescott on the long-awaited new deal, everyone was ready to discuss the implications of the $160 million contract. Our Cowboys staff got together to answer a couple of questions following the biggest story of the offseason so far.
What are your thoughts on the price tag of Prescott’s new contract?
Corey Douglass: My initial reaction to the Dak deal was shock. I had my mind set on the Cowboys placing the tag on Dak again and dragging this to the July deadline. Now that the deal is done, I’m just happy this is finally over and we can move past the constant talks. As far as the price tag, I’m not a fan of the “next man up gets more than the previous guy” concept the NFL has adapted. It what it is. If the Cowboys had done this deal two years prior, they could have saved $8-10 million per season.
Dylan Duell: I think the shock of the price will be gone by the start of the 2022 season. Each top-half of the NFL quarterback is going to just keep getting a bigger contract than one we’ve seen before. Dak deserves this deal. The other contracts that the Cowboys gave out to Ezekiel Elliott and Jaylon Smith are the dumb ones. Dak smartly wasn’t going to let the Cowboys punish him for giving out those contracts before taking care of the most important position on the field. I’m happy for Prescott and reading what I’ve read in the last 24 hours, it shouldn’t be as cap-crippling as the headline-reading fan might think.
Jared Wingate: The deal that should have been done last year gets done this year. After proving himself to the team, both pre-injury, and post-Cowboys performance post injury, Dak rightfully secures the bag, and face of America’s team. Dallas saves much needed cap in a pandemic shaped salary cap era, and sets this team up to finally reclaim the NFC East throne and fill out the rest of their roster this off-season.
What are the expectations for Prescott now that he is one of the highest paid players in the sport?
Corey: I feel like the expectations when you are the Cowboys quarterback are always high. That doesn’t change with him signing one of the highest paid contracts in NFL history. I think the only thing that changes is there is going to be certain Cowboys and NFL fans critiquing his every throw even more than they usually would.
Dylan: As quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, pressure and expectations simply don’t get any higher. Dak knows what’s up and is well prepared to handle it. On the flip side, we all know that there is basically one player in football who can completely change the fortunes of a single team and it was Tom Brady in Tampa Bay last season. The Cowboys will still need to change their silly ways and put a quality team around Prescott. His new price tag doesn’t prevent them from doing that. They just need to be smarter with draft picks and free agency signings.
Jared: On pace to shatter records for passing before getting injured, it would be unfair to put those expectations on Dak. However, the potential with Amari, Gallup and Lamb, with a return of star linemen gives this offense a chance to surpass some of the all-time greats in franchise history. Expect a comeback player of the year caliber return for the $40 million dollar man, and a return to playoff contention.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.