After a long and drawn-out process, there was finally some closure for Dak Prescott recently, as the quarterback reached a four-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys that makes him the second-highest paid player in the league, behind only Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes. The four-year deal is worth $160 million, of which $126 million is guaranteed, averaging out to around $40 million per season, and he has a $66-million signing bonus as well.
This is quite some deal for a player who was a fourth-round draft pick back in 2016, and now his legacy will be defined by this contract and his ability to deliver a Super Bowl to Dallas.
There are many fans who are still learning how to bet on sports, and for them, it would perhaps make a lot of sense to put money on the Cowboys for the 2021 NFL season. The quarterback has been one of the best players in the NFL over the past couple of seasons, with exceptional numbers on the field, and his impact can be seen by how the team fell apart after he got injured last year. Additionally, a big reason for this huge contract is the fact that there are not too many top-class quarterbacks in the NFL anymore. In this context, it is quite some journey for Prescott, who wasn't even the Cowboys' first-choice fourth-round pick back in 2016 – they wanted Connor Cook in the fourth round, while they had also wanted to trade back into the first round to pick up Paxton Lynch instead. The Cowboys had to settle for Prescott back then, and it has proven to be a huge slice of luck.
He has started every game he has appeared in for the Cowboys and does not have a losing record across five seasons and 69 games. He was in line to set an NFL record for passing yards last season before injury struck, while the pandemic meant that he was not able to work with coach Mike McCarthy as much as he would have liked.
The 2021 offseason should put that to amends, with his work during this time setting him up for success during the season proper.
Teammates have spoken about his leadership qualities as well, and it is here, along with his undoubted on-field ability, that Prescott will begin to justify this mammoth contract. He leads from the front in the gym, during offseason training programs, and on the field, according to teammates, and this attitude will be vital if the Cowboys are to have a successful season.
However, at the end of the day, quarterbacks are judged by championships, especially Cowboys quarterbacks. Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman are in the Hall of Fame for their five combined Super Bowl trophies, and many others, such as Don Meredith and Danny White have found out the hard way that it is the trophies that matter for a Cowboys QB.
Thus, this contract has put a lot of expectation on Prescott's shoulders, and he will have to begin justifying it in the only way that is acceptable for Cowboys fans – winning Super Bowls, starting with Super Bowl LVI next year in Nevada.
