JETS PLAY TAG WITH MAYE
’BOYS GIVE DAK $160M
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have a deal — and it’s massive.
The team announced Monday it reached an agreement with its star quarterback on a contract extension. It’s a four-year, $160 million contract that includes $126 million guaranteed and a no-trade clause, according to multiple reports. The deal can reach as high as $164 million with incentives.
The Cowboys have expressed confidence Prescott will be able to return to the field this season after he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle in Week 5 against the Giants. Dallas is expected to franchise tag Prescott as a procedural matter and a formal announcement is scheduled for Wednesday.
The first three years of the deal will average $42 million and his signing bonus of $66 million will be the largest in NFL history, according to ESPN.
Dallas previously had the option to have the 27-yearold play this year on the franchise tag at around $37.7 million. Doing a multi-year contract will allow the Cowboys to spread out his salary cap hit. Dallas reportedly wanted a five-year pact to aid in the cap help with the league taking a financial hit during the coronavirus pandemic. Prescott was asking for four so he can be a free agent again when the NFL’s TV contracts are up for renegotiation.
The Cowboy and Prescott have been negotiating over the past three offseasons — he played last season on a $31.4 million franchise tag — but both sides had seem determined to get a deal done.
Prescott, the Cowboys’ fourth-round pick in 2016, was off to a stellar start last season under new coach Mike McCarthy, averaging 371.2 yards per game and a 99.6 quarterback rating but Dallas’ porous defense left them at 2-3 through five games. He threw for 1,856 yards with nine touchdowns to four interceptions in those games. The Cowboys have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, including last year in a down NFC East. Now Dallas can go about the business of improving the pieces around their franchise quarterback.