“I don’t play for money.” Dak Prescott said this in OTAs in May when his contract demand rumors swirled up the internet. However, later, when the market price of the quarterback increased, reports suggested that the tone of the Dallas Cowboys quarterback had changed. As per many outlets, he now might be demanding around $60 million.

Prescott is currently in his final year of a 4-year, $160 million deal while carrying a cap hit of $55.5 million. Hence, if he gets traded, the team will still have to pay the same amount to him due to his trade clause situation. That’s the reason why Jerry Jones and the team might not want to trade him at present, as they are waiting to see his final year’s performance. So, what should Prescott do? Should he get himself traded and suffer later (as per the probability)? Or should he play Tom Brady’s choice?

Colin Cowherd suggested Dak Prescott to be a good quarterback

In a recent episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on August 8, 2024, the host weighed in on Dak Prescott’s approach to NFL contracts by comparing it to Tom Brady’s winning mentality. He started by addressing a piece from The Athletic that questioned whether the Cowboys could afford to pay Dak in a “broken quarterback economy.” Not only that! The article also compared Prescott’s situation to other quarterbacks, like Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love, who recently signed huge deals. However, Cowherd, who generally likes reading the outlet’s articles, disagreed with the premise this time.

He argued that “the more gifted quarterbacks who are really smart take a little less, get surrounded by better players, win more, and then you’re Tom Brady—you retire, and a TV network gives you $30 million a year.” Cowherd further continued, “Not because you’re handsome, but because you won more. Go ask Drew Brees. He took the bag for a couple of years in New Orleans with Sean Payton and lost. Then he took much less, restructured his deal to help the roster, won a Super Bowl, and now he is iconic and won’t have to worry about money for the rest of his life.” Referencing how Tom Brady consistently took pay cuts to allow the Patriots to build a championship-caliber team, Cowherd suggested to Prescott that this strategy would help him achieve legendary status and secure lucrative post-retirement opportunities, just like Brady.

The veteran analyst further acknowledged that some quarterbacks, like Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, might have good reasons to take the money as a financial security due to their injury history and physical limitations. But quarterbacks like Dak Prescott, who recorded the highest passing touchdown in 2023 (36), can look for a winning team, rather than just money.

Nevertheless, Prescott is likely to sign a big deal, as per NFL Live analyst, Mina Kimes.

Is a monster contract awaiting Dak Prescott?

Recently Dak Prescott said, “The money is out there and the money can happen. It can be done. There’s ways to make everything work for both ways. That’s in that sense it’s always about pushing the envelope for the next man.” That means Prescott is aware of a potential contract extension from his team. Besides him, ESPN’s Mina Kimes shared her thoughts on Prescott’s potential new contract during an appearance on First Take.

She confidently predicted that when Prescott signs his next deal, the starting figure will likely be in the $60 million range. Kimes explained that Prescott’s impressive performance during the 2023 season, where he was one of the top MVP candidates and ranked high in multiple metrics like passing touchdowns, is a big reason for the expected payday.

Well, this prediction can be true if we consider Jerry Jones’ comments, wherein he stated, “I feel like I know better than anybody living or got a feel for what the revenue is going to be four, five, six years from now, than anybody living. I’ve spent all this time doing that. And if you don’t understand what the revenue is going to do, then you can’t look and see what the cap is going to be. And so it is an art, almost, about how to look ahead.” So, Jones might know when is the right time!