One of the most important storylines in the NFL right now is the state of Dak Prescott’s contract.
The 30 year old Prescott is about to begin his ninth season, the final one under his current contract.
And if his postseason record is far from stellar, his performance on the field is what matters most.
Not to be laughed at are three Pro Bowl trips, the second-most throwing touchdowns in Cowboys history, and a second-place showing in the 2023 MVP vote.
To put it plainly, a quarterback with his caliber this close to free agency is uncommon.
Only Kirk Cousins and Tom Brady, two of the best signal callers in recent memory, have gone undrafted.
Those men received a sizable salary in spite of their advanced age and Cousins’ Achilles injury.
Prescott will get a far bigger contract than other players since he is younger and has greater potential.
Will his annual average surpass the NFL record, is the question.
Quarterback contracts are greater than ever, much to Owner Jerry Jones’s dismay.
The salary at the post is, without exaggeration, skyrocketing.
With all due respect, you don’t automatically think of outstanding quarterback performance when you hear names like Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones, Derek Carr, and Deshaun Watson.
However, the four men’s combined yearly income comes to $39.2 million.
That sum is just little less than Prescott’s $40 million annual compensation.
And I think most of us can agree that, out of the four quarterbacks I just said, he is without a doubt the best.
These days, elite quarterbacks don’t cost $40 million or even $50 million.
The top players in the league have recently extended their contracts for about $51–56 million, with the latter amount being reached more regularly.
This implies that the quarterback who gets paid the next will probably end up with the highest annual salary.
And it could be the first NFL player ever to earn $60 million a season.
Which team gives it away first will be the question, as will whether or not it sets a new standard for quarterback performance going forward.
Although Cowboys supporters are fixated on the Prescott contract issue, more than one prominent quarterback has the potential to earn a $60 million contract before Prescott does.
Without an agreement, Pro Bowlers Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa will both be free agents in 2025.
But it’s very much a given that both of those players will be extended before free agency.
Given the recent deals given to players like Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence, you should anticipate that Love and Tagovailoa will both outperform their previous seasons.
The Lions awarded Goff $53 million, while the Jaguars rewarded their signal caller a record-breaking $55 million annually.
All of this is essentially preparation for the next man to break the record.
It also implies that Prescott is not the most probable player to be the first to earn $60 million annually.
The Dolphins and Packers both appear determined to close a deal with their leaders prior to the start of the current campaign.
Conversely, the Cowboys and all of its players who are eligible for extensions are waiting it out.
There have been rumors that they want to give Prescott more time before he becomes free agent.
In the end, I think the Prescott contract extension will take place before to the start of the season.
Unfortunately, Love and Tagovailoa will probably get paid after that, thus his price will likely be substantially higher.
You can count on Prescott to want at least that amount from Dallas if both of those players receive $60 million a year before him, which I think they will.
Prescott is as sure as it gets to earn the highest annual pay in NFL history; a couple players may surpass him to that honor, though.
