After multiple contract disputes throughout the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott finally came to terms on a four-year $240 million contract extension. The deal arrived minutes before the Cowboys’ road opener against the Cleveland Browns and solidified the status of the nine-year veteran as the highest-paid player in NFL history.
While Prescott’s previous stellar regular season play alone warranted him an extension, his playoff performances have left more than a few fans questioning if the massive contract was the right move for the organization.
“After last year’s playoffs, I don’t know how you can pay the guy. He just can’t win the big one,” local Cowboys fan Edward Dalton remarked when asked about his thoughts on the signing.
Numerous Cowboy fans have shared the same sentiment in regards to Precotts new deal, including former Fox analyst and superfan Skip Bayless, who took to X to share his thoughts.
“This is why Jerry’s Dallas Cowboys have not even made it to an NFC championship game,” Bayless remarked. “Now I’m … STUCK WITH DAK.”
Though harsh, the outcries and remarks from fans are not without reason. A quarterback known to regress heavily in the playoffs, Prescott has continued to disappoint fans year in and year out. His most recent playoff outing seemed to deflate the entire fanbase, as he was outperformed by the Packers’ first-year starter Jordan Love in a 48-32 home wildcard defeat. The loss served as one of the quarterback’s many disappointing playoff performances.
With Prescott locked into the organization for four more years, it has become increasingly hard to imagine a world where the Cowboys hoist the Lombardi trophy with him at the helm. His continuous playoff duds, along with his egregious contract cap hit, have seemingly launched the team into a state of mediocrity. Currently ranked as the eighth team in the NFL’s week two power rankings, Dallas continues to slum in the tier of good-not-great alongside the likes of the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite having talent in nearly every position, the Cowboys consistently find themselves being held back by their newly extended franchise quarterback.
While it is impossible to say that the Cowboys will not win with Prescott, it has become extremely unlikely with the addition of his new deal. Currently paying Prescott and wideout Ceedee Lamb a combined 376 million dollars alone, Dallas has left itself no choice but to place their hope on the shoulders of a quarterback who consistently underperforms when it matters most.
