The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott have been circling a long-term contract for the past two years. Like two heavyweight fighters circling in the ring, both the team and the player’s representatives have held their ground when it came to what each valued in a potential extension. Now, both sides have dropped the gloves.
According to various reports, the Cowboys and Prescott have agreed to a four-year, $160 million deal. The new contract is reportedly worth up to a max of $164 million and guarantees the 27-year old quarterback at least $126 million. Dak’s signing bonus of $66 million is reportedly the highest in NFL history.
Prescott will make an average of $42 million over the first three years of the new deal. Yet, he’ll only count $22.2 million against the salary cap this season because of two voidable years added to the end of the contract.
Last season, the Cowboys and Prescott couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal. That resulted in the then-fourth-year passer playing on the exclusive franchise tag. Prescott was paid $31.4 million to play in Dallas on a one-year deal in 2020.
Unfortunately, a devastating ankle injury ended Prescott’s season prematurely in Week Five. And the injury also complicated contract negotiations following two surgeries to correct it. Yet, the two sides never seemed to waver from the idea of a new deal eventually getting done in Dallas.
Literally years in the making, the news of the newly agreed-upon contract by both Prescott and the Cowboys lit up social media sites like Twitter. Numerous media members along with several current and former players, and of course, fans reacted to the breaking news. Below we’ve gathered some of the best tweets in response to Dak’s new deal in Big D.
HE’S BAAAAAACCCKKKK 🤘🏿—> @dak
— DeMarcus Lawrence (@TankLawrence) March 8, 2021
Congrats @dak ... go finish what you started 👊🏾 #CowboysNation
— D-Ware (@DeMarcusWare) March 9, 2021
Congrats to @dak proving the old axiom that good things happen to good people.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) March 9, 2021
One of my favorite teammates of all-time! Well deserved @dak https://t.co/QjPSWQ6zhz
— Randall Cobb (@rcobb18) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/AntwaunWoods_/status/1369078763712053249?s=20
So in a very brief chat with Dak Prescott today, he told me he’s not going anywhere and he planned on being a “Cowboy for life!” ... just didn’t think the rest of his life was gonna start today!
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) March 9, 2021
— Tyrone Crawford 🇨🇦 (@TCrawford98) March 9, 2021
OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) March 8, 2021
THE COWBOYS HAVE SIGNED DAK PRESCOTT
Ayyyyyyeeeeee LFG!!!!! Dak deserve that!!! #TRUELEADER @dak happy for you 4 !!!!
— Jay March (@JayMarch) March 9, 2021
Stephen Jones has said this many times: when you gain momentum in talks, sometimes a deal can get done within hours. Even a deal this huge. Sounds like that’s what happened here.
— Rob Phillips (@robphillips3) March 9, 2021
Only *1* of the 22 quarterbacks from the 2015 and 2016 NFL Drafts remains with his original team: Dak Prescott, now the second-highest paid QB in NFL history.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 9, 2021
Cowboys salary cap hit for QB Dak Prescott in 2021 — $22.2M
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) March 9, 2021
Eagles dead cap hit for Colts QB Carson Wentz in 2021 — $33.8M
With the news that a new long-term deal has been struck between the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott, America’s Team can finally focus on the business of addressing the other various needs across their roster in an attempt to rebound from a disappointing 6-10 season.