The Dallas Cowboys are expected to work toward a contract extension with Dak Prescott this offseason, and it does not sound like the star quarterback has any interest in offering a hometown discount.
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report said on Tuesday that he believes Prescott will seek an annual salary of $60 million with his next contract.
That would reset the market by a fairly wide margin, but Schultz believes Prescott has put himself in a position to sign that kind of deal with the MVP-caliber season the quarterback had in 2023.
“I’ve been on the record — I believe Dak Prescott is gonna come in somewhere along the lines of $60 million per year, potentially making him the highest-paid quarterback in football and resetting his quarterback market,” Schultz said. “He played that well and really for most of the season, especially that back half of the year, Dak Prescott was the MVP favorite or in that conversation and obviously finished inside the top five. So, he really was there throughout.”
The Cowboys almost have no choice but to sign Prescott to a new contract, so the 30-year-old is in a tremendous position of strength.
He is set to count $59.5 million against the salary cap in 2024. Prescott also has it written into his contract that he cannot be franchise-tagged next year. If he left in free agency following the 2024 season, his dead salary-cap hit for 2025 would be more than $36 million.
The Cowboys knew what they were getting themselves into when Prescott signed his four-year, $160 million extension before the 2021 season.
Dallas knew they would have to restructure Prescott’s deal at some point. That time happens to have come after Dak had his best NFL season with 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Another thing working in Prescott’s favor is that Jerry Jones is 81 years old. The Cowboys owner wants to win another Super Bowl and has already made a big promise about next season. He is not about to start fresh at the most important position on the field.
Joe Burrow has the highest average annual salary in the NFL at $55 million. Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert come in behind him at around $52 million.
Even if Prescott does not get to $60 million, there is almost no chance he will settle for less than the aforementioned quarterbacks.
