Their actions suggest otherwise, but the Dallas Cowboys seemingly are committed to Dak Prescott as their quarterback of the future. Questions arose following the Cowboys' wild card loss in January about whether they should invest more years into Prescott.
The Cowboys essentially don't have a choice but to extend Prescott. Not only is it the smart move from an organizational standpoint, but the 31-year-old possesses too much leverage for Dallas to risk letting him reach free agency. He'll cost $40 million in dead money in 2025 if he does't receive a new deal by March. He also has a no-trade and no-tag clause in his current contract.
Before or during training camp is considered the likely timeline for a Prescott extension. However, team owner Jerry Jones might want to get a move on after a shocking report about Packers QB Jordan Love emerged over the weekend.
Cowboys need to extend Dak Prescott ASAP after Jordan Love contract update
In a recent article, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk raked the quarterbacks most likely to receive a historic $60 million salary. While Prescott checked in at No. 1, Love was second and he's widely expected to sign his extension before training camp ... or at least before Prescott signs his.
"With $11 million in cash due for 2024, a five-year, $300 million extension would have a new-money average of $60 million — and a total-money average of $51.83 million over six years," Florio wrote. "If they're truly sold on Love (and if they can construct the contract to give them an out after two or three years), it wouldn't be a shock if he gets to $60 million first."
Love getting $60 million would be quite the storyline considering last season was his first as a full-time starter. It would be an aggressive move on Green Bay's part, but regardless this should be all the motivation the Cowboys need to extend Prescott before the calendar turns to July.
If Love gets $60 million per year, Prescott would be justified to ask for $65 million. He's the more accomplished player and it's not even a comparison. Would the Cowboys be willing to dance in that range? It would be in their best interest if that question never reaches the light of day.
In eight seasons as the starter, Prescott has yet to lead Dallas beyond the Divisional Round and his 2-5 record in the playoffs has led many to believe that the team has reached its ceiling with him under center.
What those stats don't tell you, though, is that Prescott has a 91.8 passer rating in his playoff career to go with 14 touchdowns to seven interceptions. There's a lot he can improve on, yes, but his defenses came up small in nearly all of those games. A team can (should) win deep into January with a QB that's capable of posting those numbers.
There's no reason to delay this any further. The Cowboys need to extend Prescott just in case Love and the Packers completely inflate the quarterback market.
