FRISCO, Texas – Gone are the days of Dak Prescott, the success story of choosing the fourth round.
Now that the quarterback has signed a multi-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys, he will be defined by the $ 160 million contract, which includes a guaranteed $ 126 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Prescott’s signing bonus is $ 66 million, the largest in NFL history, a source told ESPN. With this megadeal, he becomes the second highest-paid QB in the NFL.
It is now just about a Super Bowl.
There are several reasons why the Cowboys wanted to sign a long-term contract with Prescott, 27, in each of the past two seasons. His game on the field (106 touchdown passes, 24 run touchdowns and a 42-27 record) and what he means off the field (did you see how things fell apart after he got hurt in 2020?) Are the main reasons.
Another is fear.
Yes, fear. There are so many first-rate defenders in the NFL. After Troy Aikman retired, the Cowboys founded Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Ryan Leaf, Clint Stoerner, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde, Drew Henson and Drew Bledsoe before they were lucky in Tony Romo, a 2003 non-hired free agent who didn’t gave a game pass until 2006.
While Romo would become the franchise’s leader in touchdown passes (248), he made 2 to 4 in the playoffs and the team struggled when he got hurt. Romo’s backups, including Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee, Kyle Orton, Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore, had a combined record of 6-19 from 2008 to 2015.
In 2020, the Cowboys scored 4-5 and scored a touchdown in the first three games without Prescott, who dislocated and had an open fracture of his right ankle in a Week 5 game against the New York Giants.
The Cowboys selected Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He was not even the first choice in the fourth round as a compensatory choice, No. 135 overall. And he wasn’t even the first choice. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was devastated that he was unable to negotiate back in the first round to take Paxton Lynch. They wanted Connor Cook in the fourth round.
They settled for Prescott and were lucky. Very lucky.
Prescott may have been the eighth defender selected in 2016, but it is likely to be the last standing QB in that class with his original team. Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall choice, will be traded by the Los Angeles Rams for the Detroit Lions as part of the Matthew Stafford deal. The Philadelphia Eagles have an agreement in place to switch to No. 2 overall choice, Carson Wentz, for the Indianapolis Colts.
Prescott started every game he played for the Cowboys – 69 to be exact – and has not had a losing record as a starter in any of his five seasons. The Cowboys won the NFC East twice and a playoff game. In 2019, Prescott set career records in passing yards (4,902) and touchdown passes (30). In 2020, he was on his way to setting an NFL record for yard passes with 1,856 in his five games. He had nine touchdown passes and four interceptions.
We never got to see how the full marriage between Prescott and coach Mike McCarthy would unfold because of the coronavirus pandemic that led to a virtual off-season program (Prescott did not participate) and then the defender’s injury.
With this deal closed, Prescott will participate in any off-season of 2021.
It is the work of Prescott in the off-season that makes him dear to his teammates. Even last year, Prescott had talented players in his home, not far from The Star, for practice on his backyard lawn.
Intangibles and leadership cannot be quantified, but Pro Bowl strikers Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, running back Ezekiel Elliott and receivers Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb believe in Prescott when the Cowboys are in a final situation of play.
“He’s everything you want in a quarterback … someone that everyone would play against him,” said Martin.
Which means players on the other side of the ball know that Prescott will find a way to win when things don’t go well for three quarters, just as he did in 2018 against Philadelphia in a week 14 victory in extra time.
“That’s how it works,” said Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee. “He leads from the front. He’s up there with us, he’s running with us. When he practices, he practices with a certain intensity. As I said, leaders, the first thing they do is set an example, and there is no one who sets the example better than Dak. “
Now, Prescott has to comply.
Cowboys quarterbacks are judged by championships. Don Meredith was the first to find out. Then Danny White. Romo was the most recent. Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman are in the Professional Football Hall of Fame because of their skills and leadership and his five Vince Lombardi trophies combined.
Prescott’s contract has high expectations. He has already performed above his draft position. Now the expectations are significantly higher: winning a Super Bowl.