Dak Prescott has signed a four-year deal worth $160million (£137.3m) with the Dallas Cowboys to become the second highest-paid player in the NFL.
Prescott’s deal includes a record $126m (£108.1m) guaranteed and means only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is paid more per year.
Prescott and the Cowboys had been at a stalemate for some time, with the quarterback previously turning down a contract worth a rumoured $175m (£126m) over five years.
His new contract will see him make a staggering $75m (£54m) in 2021 alone. The terms includes a league record $66m (£47.5m) signing bonus, a no-trade clause and no tag provision. Despite his immense salary, Prescott is expected to take up just $22.2m (£16m) in cap space.
Failing to agree on a price for a long-term deal after his rookie contract expired following the 2019 season, Prescott played under the franchise tag in 2020, making a fully guaranteed $31.4m (£22.7m).
Prescott’s injury hell last season
In 2020, under the franchise tag, Prescott got off to an electric start but had his season cut short after suffering a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle versus the New York Giants in Week Five. A week prior, Prescott had become the first player in league history to pass for 450 yards in three consecutive games, and at the time of his injury led the league in passing yards with 1,859.
The seriousness of the injury led many to believe that Prescott might fail to secure a long-term deal with the Cowboys and may instead have been forced to hit free agency to avoid being franchise tagged for a second consecutive year.
But if the five weeks of elite play from the former Mississippi State Bulldog early in the season failed to persuade the Cowboys to figure out a deal, then the team’s poor performances without him certainly achieved just that.
In the 11 games with Prescott sidelined, the Cowboys managed an underwhelming 4-7 record and were forced to field third-string quarterback Garrett Gilbert for one game while back-up Andy Dalton was in concussion protocol.
Moving forward with Dallas Cowboys
Heading into 2021, having now secured their starting quarterback for the next four years, the Cowboys will look to improve on their defence which was their crux for the majority of last year. The large signing bonus in Prescott’s contract leaves room in the salary cap to accommodate such signings.
As for Prescott, he will no doubt be looking forward to spending an entire year in an offence surrounded by receiving talents Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup – and to make a play-off run for the first time since 2018.
