Dak Prescott Has One Reason Why He Deserves Cowboys Extension After Outshining Patrick Mahomes & Lamar Jackson in 2023

They say the game is won or lost by the play under center. If that’s true, the Dallas Cowboys owe their success this season to the cannon-armed gunslinger Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State product was slinging touchdowns left and right.

When talking elite quarterbacks in 2023, the names Mahomes and Jackson usually dominate. But Dak flat-out outplayed those players, putting up numbers that should have him cashing massive checks. The way he was droppin’ dimes and avoiding backbreaking picks, you’d think Prescott was Neo in the matrix out there. Now the big question is – will Jerry Jones and Co. show him the money his All-Pro play deserves?

Dak Prescott’s 2023 stat line screams “Pay the Man!”

Jerry Jones has seen elite quarterback play during his ownership of the Cowboys, but even he likely did a double-take at Dak Prescott’s stellar numbers in 2023. Those 36 touchdown passes were the most in the league, showcasing Prescott picking apart defenses with pinpoint accuracy and decision-making. His 4 TD/INT ratio dwarfed the next closest qualified starter.

Prescott didn’t just author one of the most prolific passing seasons ever under immense pressure. He did it while going toe-to-toe with superstars like Patrick Mahomes (27 TDs) and Lamar Jackson (24 TDs, 7 INTs) – the young QBs resetting the market with massive extensions. If Prescott outperformed those two, there’s really no debate in Dallas.

This is why whispers are growing about Prescott’s heroic 2023 making him the first $60 million man in NFL history. The numbers solidify his status as an elite passer deserving of a record-setting payday. With the Cowboys desperately needing to create cap space, signing Prescott to a lucrative long-term deal could be their top priority.

Contract negotiations won’t be a cakewalk!!

Of course, Dak’s monster 2023 campaign didn’t happen in a vacuum. His contract was up after this season, meaning things got real interesting. Prescott has the Cowboys over a barrel with that no-trade, no-franchise tag clause in his current deal. If Dallas lets him hit the open market in 2025, they’re almost guaranteed to get into a bidding war they can’t win.

The whispers are that Prescott is aiming to become the first $60 million per year quarterback, blowing past the $55 million Burrow and Herbert got. And can you really blame him? He just outproduced those two young superstars in nearly every statistical category. An extension with $150 million fully guaranteed shouldn’t be out of the question.

But the Cowboys have a lot to lose too if Dak walks. Even trading him before 2025 would cost over $60 million in dead money on their books. With CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons’ mega-extensions on the horizon, Dallas has some tough financial decisions ahead. They’ll need every dollar to build a contender around their cornerstones.

Locking up Prescott to a long-term deal that resets the market may be the most critical move of the Jones era. Keep the elite QB anchor, or let him walk and start rebuilding from scratch? It’s put up or shut up time at The Star.