Wide receiver Brandin Cooks has been with the Dallas Cowboys for just one season so far, but the veteran knows they have a good thing going with quarterback Dak Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy. This week on the Gojo and Golic show, the former first-rounder opened up about his belief in Prescott, with whom he connected on 54 passes for 657 yards in 2023.
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Cooks’ advice for the Cowboys is to pay the quarterback sooner rather than later because his price tag will probably only increase between now and next March.
“Indubitably. Absolutely no question,” Cooks said when asked if Prescott is the future for the team at quarterback. “You know last year what he did the first year in Mike McCarthy’s offense. I mean, for the longest, he was MVP front runner, and then I believe he finished second or third, and that was all done one year into Mike McCarthy’s offense.
“I think he’ll always continue to get better, continue to lead, and hit his strides. If you don’t do it now, in my opinion, it’s just gonna cost that much more later because he’s on a mission for sure.”
The Cowboys’ failure to win a conference title and advance past the second round of the playoffs has greatly reduced some analysts’ opinion of the former Mississippi State star, but not Cooks’. Prescott is currently set to play the 2024 season on the last year of his contract, which he signed for four years and $160 million in 2021.
Cooks calls on Cowboys to pay CeeDee Lamb
As it was during the team’s offseason workout program, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb‘s presence was sorely missed at the start of OTAs this week. Lamb, who is waiting on a contract extension this offseason, did not show up at the Star. Cooks was particularly vocal about what he hopes the team accomplishes with the former first-round pick before the season starts.
“The guy is a freak,” Cooks said of Lamb. “He deserves everything that is coming his way, and I hope he gets every single dollar that he can and [be] the highest-paid receiver in the league because he’s the greatest receiver in the league. No doubt.”
Last month, the Philadelphia Eagles extended wide receiver A.J. Brown to the tune of $96 million – resetting the market. He’s now locked down through the 2029 season, and set to make $96 million over three seasons, which is the highest-ever averaged at the position. He will also receive $84 million guaranteed, another historic high for an NFL wide receiver.
The Detroit Lions also ponied up for Amon-Ra St. Brown in April. They inked the former fourth-round selection to a four-year deal worth up to $120 million with $77 million guaranteed.
As it stands, Lamb is set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option for $17.991 million.
