CeeDee Lamb's massive contract could hint Dak Prescott's deal is on the horizon

The Dallas Cowboys brought an end to months of arguing between player and organization when they inked wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a long-term contract. Donning the No. 88 after names like Michael Irvin, Drew Pearson and Dez Bryant, Lamb's new contract makes him a player who will be paid as an All-Pro talent.

Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract with the Cowboys that makes him the second-highest-paid receiver in the league. With a $34 million annual salary, only Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, who makes $35 million per year in his four-season contract, is more highly compensated than Lamb is.

Lamb is, hopefully, the first domino to fall in a set of three big contracts that will eventually resolve into long-term deals. Defensive Player of the Year contender Micah Parsons will likely reset the market at his position, and quarterback Dak Prescott will be the next signal-caller with a deal in excess of $50 million per season.

After the Lamb contract, there is a very good chance that Prescott will end up resolving his contract situation sooner rather than later. After signing Lamb, the Cowboys may be more inclined to give in to what Prescott wants and immediately sign the quarterback for most of the next half-decade.

Cowboys must extend Dak Prescott after CeeDee Lamb contract

Wouldn't it be better to let Dak walk and restart the clock with a young quarterback on a rookie deal? Possibly, but that neglects the fact that this quarterback class is generally considered underwhelming. Why restart the clock with so much championship infrastructure in place already?

Lamb will be in his prime, Parsons needs a new deal, and the secondary has multiple young stars. Why take that solid core and then throw all of that in a blender with a complete unknown at quarterback? Dak is still the safer and more productive option.

In a league where high-end quarterback play is getting scarcer, all but a handful of teams in the NFL would gladly swap their current QB for Prescott. While the pool of available funds to fill out the rest of the roster is getting smaller, quarterback is not the position to pinch pennies at.

Prescott and Lamb have the potential, if both stay healthy, to challenge many of the numbers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin set. While it may not translate into a no-doubt championship, Dallas' best way forward in the next few years is clearly with No. 4 under center.

Lamb's deal could foreshadow a deal for Prescott is on the way. After all, why would Lamb commit four more years to the Cowboys if he didn't have a good idea of who'd be throwing him the ball?

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