The Dallas Cowboys’ offense has been all out of sorts since Prescott dislocated his right ankle in week 5 against the New York Giants. He was on pace to break numerous records including most passing yards in a season before his devasting injury. The Cowboys have expressed numerous times that Prescott is the franchise’s quarterback for the future. However, signing Prescott will result in a big hit to their cap space. Are the Cowboys willing to spend that much?
Since the Cowboys haven’t been able to score touchdowns and are just 1-5 without him, Prescott will likely want $40+ million per year. With a likely top ten pick in the 2021 draft, is it more logical for the Cowboys to try and draft a young quarterback and let Prescott walk?
The big question remains, how willingly is Jerry Jones to pay Prescott?
Before the 2020 season, Prescott had the second-most wins (35) in the NFL since 2016 only behind Tom Brady (37). He had more wins than Drew Brees, Russell Wilson and Ben Roethlisberger. Being a part of such an elite company at a young age shows just how efficient Prescott has been the past couple of seasons.
Although Prescott only has one playoff win in his career, he did lead Dallas to the best record in the NFC in his rookie season. He joined Ben Roethislberger in 2004 and Dieter Brock in 1985 as the only two rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to start at least 13 games and get a first-round bye. In 2016, Prescott led his team to a 13-3 record and won offensive rookie of the year.
The part of Prescott’s game that separates him from the rest is his smart decision making. Although his four-seasons is a small sample size, Prescott ranks third all-time in interception percentage. This is the percent of passes thrown that leads to interceptions. Through his four-seasons, Prescott has an interception percentage of just 1.7, which trails only Patrick Mahomes (1.3) and Aaron Rodgers (1.4). Once again, Prescott is a part of elite company.
The Cowboys have been fairly successful with Prescott as their quarterback. They are 42-27 with Prescott under center including two trips to the postseason in 2016 and 2018. Additionally, the Cowboys have never finished under .500 with Prescott. He also had 14 game-winning drives in his first three seasons which is the most in NFL history.
Prescott has shown up for the Cowboys every season. He had 14 game-winning drives in his first three seasons which is the most in NFL history. Although Prescott has been fantastic for the Cowboys, will his asking price be too high?
With the Cowboys’ recent struggles, Prescott’s asking price has grown. On top of the Cowboys 1-5 record without him, he was also playing at a superb level before his injury. So, how exactly has this affected his contract situation?
Before the season started, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson both got new contracts. As a result, they are now the two highest-paid players in the NFL. Mahomes’ contract ensures that he receives $45 million per season while Watson gets $39 million per season. This is important because these contracts unquestionably affect Prescott’s deal.
In the offseason, the Cowboys reportedly offered Prescott a five year, $175 million contract, but Prescott rejected it. At the time, his $35 million per season would have put him tied with Russell Wilson for the highest-paid player in the league. Nonetheless, Prescott will be asking for a five-year contract worth more than $175 million.
With the recent big contracts of Watson and Mahomes, Prescott will want more money than Watson. Are the Cowboys willing to pay over $40 million for a quarterback?
Estimated Contract: 5 years, $210 million
At the end of the day, the Cowboys will pay Prescott what he wants. They missed out on signing his last offseason and will not make the same mistake. Prescott has shown his potential in the NFL and having a franchise quarterback like him will give Dallas a solid shot at the Super Bowl each season.
Although it is intriguing to draft an early quarterback who takes on a small salary, Prescott is worth the money as he showed this season. The Cowboys will not let Prescott walk especially knowing that he is a top-seven quarterback in the NFL.
Featured Image Courtesy of ESPN
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