Just hours before their season opener against Cleveland, Dak Prescott signed a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
The talented quarterback and the team agreed on a groundbreaking four-year contract worth $240 million. This deal is historic as it is the first in NFL history to average $60 million per season, according to a source who spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on the condition of anonymity since the contract had not yet been officially announced.
Previously, Prescott was in the final year of a $160 million, four-year contract, which was the largest in franchise history until now. The new deal includes $231 million in guaranteed money, surpassing the fully guaranteed contract of $230 million signed by Deshaun Watson with the Browns two years ago.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones expressed amazement at these figures, saying to reporters about an hour before the game, “These numbers are beyond anything that I could have ever imagined.”
In his eight seasons, Prescott has led the Cowboys to the playoffs five times, including the last three seasons. However, the team has been searching for a significant playoff win, having not advanced past the divisional round since they last won one of their five Super Bowl titles after the 1995 season.
The 31-year-old quarterback has consistently expressed his desire to remain with Dallas and to be the one to guide them beyond the divisional round for the first time in nearly three decades. Now, he has that opportunity.
Jones remarked, “This was the right move for us, as we are focused on winning a championship. I have dedicated everything I’ve ever had or dreamed of to be a part of the Cowboys, and it’s beyond my wildest expectations where we are today.”
This contract comes shortly after the Cowboys made All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb the second-highest paid player at his position, signing a four-year deal worth $136 million. Lamb had held out during all of training camp to secure a new contract as he entered the final year of his five-year rookie deal.
Prescott joined the Cowboys in 2016, selected in the fourth round from Mississippi State, at a time when Tony Romo was about to start his 10th season as the team’s quarterback. After Romo suffered a back injury in a preseason game, Prescott was thrust into the starting role from Week 1 as backup Kellen Moore was also injured.
Although he lost to the New York Giants in his first game, Prescott went on to achieve an impressive 11-game winning streak—a franchise record for a single season.
He narrowly won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2016 over his running back teammate Ezekiel Elliott, leading the Cowboys to the top seed in the NFC but losing their playoff debut to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Two years later, he celebrated his first playoff victory against the Seattle Seahawks, though the Cowboys were eliminated in the divisional round by the Los Angeles Rams.
After three consecutive 12-win seasons, the 2021 playoffs ended with a wild-card loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers.
The following season saw Prescott deliver one of his best performances in a wild-card win against Tampa Bay—Tom Brady’s last game—but another playoff defeat followed against the 49ers, this time in San Francisco.
Last season, expectations were high as the Cowboys clinched the NFC’s No. 2 seed, positioning themselves well for a deep playoff run. However, they fell short, losing unexpectedly to the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card game, with Prescott’s pick-6 contributing to a disheartening 48-32 score.
This loss was particularly disappointing given Prescott’s outstanding regular season, during which he led the league with a career-high 36 touchdown passes against just nine interceptions and threw for 4,516 yards.
As he continues to move up the Cowboys’ all-time quarterback rankings, Prescott now has the chance to surpass Romo and two Pro Football Hall of Famers, Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, in key career statistics. All three are currently ahead of Prescott in career wins, and he is just five wins shy of Romo’s record of 78.
Despite being second in touchdowns—45 behind Romo—he ranks third in passing yards behind both Romo and Aikman. Prescott is the franchise leader with a 67% completion rate, amassing 29,459 yards and 202 touchdowns.
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This article corrects earlier versions stating that Dak Prescott had 35 touchdown passes last season; the accurate figure is 36.
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