Say what you will about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but the man has a penchant for theatrics. The Cowboys dragged out a deal for star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who finally signed one of the largest wide receiver contracts ever just a couple of weeks ago. Jones waited even longer to secure quarterback Dak Prescott to an extension, getting the deal done hours before the team's first game of the season.
And, in traditional Jerry World fashion, it's a flashy deal. Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract to stay in Dallas. He's the first player in NFL history to make an average of $60 million per season.
Prescott's contract extension includes $231 million in guaranteed money, which is also a new record. It's $1 million more than the $230 million guaranteed Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
Perhaps it was fitting, then, that Prescott and the Cowboys easily handled Watson and the Browns in the season opener, 33-17.
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Prescott also has the advantage of playing in a state with no income tax. While he'll still pay a "jock" tax for road games outside of Texas, Washington, Nevada, Florida, and Tennessee, he won't owe state income tax on money earned for games at AT&T Stadium and can keep more of his money.
Despite chatter all summer long about whether Prescott would remain a Cowboy, both sides wanted to get the deal done. Prescott also noted he had an obligation to his fellow quarterbacks, saying it was his time and "the next guy, I expect to beat me" in terms of salary.
Prescott was the runner-up in MVP voting last year, finishing a distant second behind Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Both quarterbacks are coming off strong regular seasons that ended in disappointment.
For Prescott and the Cowboys, it was an embarrassing 48-32 home loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. Prescott has led the Cowboys to the playoffs in five of eight seasons, including the past three years. But the team hasn't advanced to an NFC Championship Game since 1995.
While an MVP award would be great recognition, Prescott has his sights set on the bigger prize of a Super Bowl championship.
"It's about me holding up my end of the deal," the quarterback said. Now that his contract is signed, he can focus on making another dream come true.
