Dak Prescott made less than Kellen Moore last year

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys stands on the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys stands on the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys are getting a real bargain when it comes to quarterback Dak Prescott. but just how much might be shocking to some fans.

When the Dallas Cowboys selected Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott with the 135th pick in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, they had no idea what a bargain they were getting themselves. As a rookie, Prescott earned $545,848 (according to Spotrac.com). That included a $95,848 signing bonus, which has been divided over the four-year contract.

The rookie quarterback went on to lead America’s Team to a 13-3 record, including an 11-game winning streak, a berth in the divisional round of the playoffs and to capture NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as well as a Pro Bowl nod. Prescott also replaced a legend in Tony Romo, who left the team last offseason to pursue a broadcasting career.

Last year, with Super Bowl aspirations placed on the Cowboys, Prescott struggled in his second season. He was still able to aid Dallas to a 9-7 record. And the front office has vowed to make the offense more “Dak-Friendly” moving forward.

As the quarterback of America’s Team, Prescott’s popularity is still at an all-time high. According to the latest NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List, Dak is the most popular player in the league when it comes to merchandise sales. That includes everything from jerseys to lunchboxes, to bobble-heads and jewelry.

Yet, Prescott made just $635,848 last season from the Cowboys in 2017. That’s less than his backup, Kellen Moore, who made approximately $775,000 in total (dead contract).

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Prescott made less than the entire below list of NFL quarterbacks in 2017, many of them backups like Moore. Some of whom aren’t even in the league anymore.

"“Drew Stanton, Colt McCoy, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Cassel, Paxton Lynch, Derek Anderson, Landry Jones, Brandon Weeden, Matt Barkley, Ryan Mallett, Mark Sanchez, Case Keenum, Ryan Griffin, Matt Moore, Scott Tolzien, Teddy Bridgewater, Tyler Bray, DeShone Kizer, Christian Hackenberg, Kellen Clemens, Dan Orlovsky, Luke McCown, Josh Johnson, Joe Webb, Davis Webb, Chase Daniels, C.J. Beathard, Jimmy Garoppolo, T.J. Yates, Blaine Gabbert, Austin Davis, Ryan Nassib, Jacoby Brissett, Cody Kessler, Sean Mannion, EJ Manuel, Matthew McGloin, Kellen Moore, Thad Lewis, Connor Cook, Josh Hobbs, Bryce Petty, and David Fales.” – According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk"

Next: Should the Dallas Cowboys pursue Kirk Cousins?

The point here is that the Dallas Cowboys are getting a tremendous value under center with Dak Prescott. And they’ll continue to benefit from his modest contract at least another season as he is not eligible for an extension until 2019. As for Dak himself, the 24-year old is anything but destitute. Prescott has several lucrative endorsements deals with companies such as AT&T, Adidas, Campbell’s Soup and Pepsi.