Yet another new NFL quarterback contract was doled out on Monday morning when the Detroit Lions signed Jared Goff to a 4yr/$212 million extension.
Cowboys Nation once again throws its hands up as another contract goes by before Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is extended by the team.
Goff’s deal reportedly includes a whopping $177 million guaranteed.
This news should have Cowboys fans with their eyebrows raised.
Any time they are asked about contract negotiations with Prescott, Jerry and Stephen Jones’s responses sound rehearsed.
A mixture of filler words, Arkansas slang, and a little bit of showmanship come together to say “we are working on it”.
To their credit, Prescott says the same thing when asked but the actions of his agent Todd France say differently.
France is notoriously a tough negotiator that has given the Cowboys front office fits before.
Deals like this for Goff just keep driving up Prescott’s price tag and making it difficult for the two sides to reach common ground.
What AAV is Appropriate for Prescott?
AAV, or average annual salary, along with guaranteed money are the top two numbers to consider when valuing a player’s contract.
Here are the current top-10 NFL quarterback salaries provided by Spotrac.com, including Goff’s shiny new numbers:
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals, $55 million/year
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, $53 million/year
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, $52.5 million/year
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, $52 million/year
- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles, $51 million/year
- Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals, $46.1 million/year
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, $45 million/year
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills, $43.005 million/year
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams, $40 million/year
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys, $40 million/year
The New York Giants Daniel Jones is also tied with Stafford and Prescott at $40 million/year.
Where on this list should Prescott’s new contract place him? It can get very confusing so the stalemate in negotiations is understandable.
The unequivocal best quarterback on the planet is Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, and he ranks seventh.
How could anyone make more than him?
Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and Jalen Hurts have all played and lost in the Super Bowl while Stafford has won one himself.
Prescott has never been past the divisional round of the playoffs.
It’s not fair to judge a quarterback based on the performance of 52 other players on the roster, but that’s the world we live in.
Unconfirmed sources have speculated that Prescott and his agent are seeking $60 million/year but those statements are unfounded.
An appropriate number in my eyes would be in the $56 million/year range.
It would make Prescott the highest-paid quarterback regarding AAV but isn’t an outrageous amount.
The Clock is Ticking
The Cowboys fanbase is divided in two like seemingly every offseason regarding contracts or free agent acquisitions (or lack thereof).
Half of the fans want the Cowboys to let Prescott walk after this season and the other half want him paid right now.
I’m part of the latter group.
I know Dak has not yet taken Dallas to the promised land and is entering year nine, but he has done more good than bad for the franchise.
The Goff contract throws a rather large wrench in the negotiations (at least from the Cowboys’ standpoint) because if you compare stats between Dak and Goff, it’s clear who the better quarterback is.
Since they were both drafted in 2016, Prescott owns better marks in overall record, completion percentage, yards per attempt, passing touchdowns, interceptions, and passer rating.
France is likely going to push for Prescott to overtake reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson’s contract numbers as well.
All I know is that the Cowboys should move on Prescott’s contract sooner rather than later, and not striking a new deal before the start of the new season would cast an unwanted shadow over the team in 2024.
