Dak Prescott has officially signed a four-year, $240 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys just hours before their highly anticipated season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
In his first eight years in the NFL, Prescott has successfully guided the Cowboys to the playoffs five times, including three consecutive seasons. However, the franchise is still seeking a significant postseason achievement, a feat that has eluded them since they last claimed a Super Bowl title in 1995.
At 31 years old, Prescott has expressed a strong desire to remain with Dallas and become the quarterback who finally leads the team past the divisional round for the first time in nearly three decades. With this new contract, he now has the opportunity to fulfill that ambition.
This contract comes shortly after the Cowboys secured All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb with a lucrative four-year deal worth $136 million, making him the second-highest paid player at his position.
Lamb’s absence from training camp was due to his holdout for a new contract, as he entered the final year of his rookie deal.
Drafted in the fourth round out of Mississippi State in 2016, Prescott stepped into the starting role after Tony Romo sustained a back injury during the preseason. This unexpected turn of events led Prescott to start from Week 1 of his rookie season, following another injury to backup quarterback Kellen Moore.
After a loss to the New York Giants, Prescott ignited an impressive 11-game winning streak, setting a franchise record for the most consecutive wins in a single season.
In a competitive race for the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Prescott narrowly outperformed his teammate Ezekiel Elliott, leading the Cowboys to the NFC’s top seed before facing defeat in their playoff debut against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
The first playoff victory for Prescott came two years later against the Seattle Seahawks, although the Cowboys faced another setback in the divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams.
In 2021, the Cowboys achieved three consecutive 12-win seasons, but their playoff journey ended with a wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home.
The following year, Prescott delivered a standout performance in a wild-card victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking Tom Brady’s final game. However, another playoff defeat followed against the 49ers in San Francisco.
Last season, the Cowboys had high hopes for a playoff run, finishing as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. Unfortunately, they fell short in a shocking 48-32 wild-card loss to Jordan Love and the Packers, with Prescott’s pick-6 contributing to the team’s struggles.
This disappointing loss marked one of the most frustrating moments in Jerry Jones’ 34 years as owner, overshadowing Prescott’s impressive regular season, during which he led the NFL with a career-high 35 touchdown passes against just nine interceptions and threw for 4,516 yards.
As Prescott continues to ascend the Cowboys’ all-time quarterback rankings, he is poised to surpass Tony Romo and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach in career achievements.
Currently, Prescott is five wins shy of Romo’s 78 career victories, while ranking second in touchdown passes, trailing Romo by 45, and third in passing yards behind Romo and Aikman.
With a career completion percentage of 67%, Prescott has amassed 29,459 passing yards and 202 touchdowns, solidifying his legacy as one of the franchise’s standout quarterbacks.
