Poe the Raven
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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USA TODAY Sports
The contract given by the Cowboys to quarterback Dak Prescott was driven not by the market but by his franchise-tag leverage. His contract, however, could now drive the market.
Other quarterbacks and their agents surely are paying attention. Other quarterbacks and their agents surely will examine the details of Dak’s deal and consider whether a similar contract will be in the offing for them.
It’s highly relevant to players like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield, each of whom are now eligible for their own second contracts. It’s also very relevant to Tom Brady, whose talks with the Buccaneers on an extension could be recalibrated given the news of the money to be paid to Dak.
It’s relevant to players like Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, who eventually will be in line for new deals. It’s relevant to players like Jimmy Garoppolo, who may be squeezed to take less than $25 million this year. With Dak making $40 million per year, will Gaoppolo be more inclined to hold firm?
It’s also relevant to Patrick Mahomes, who has a long-term deal that runs through 2031. While most believe that the Chiefs eventually will take care of Mahomes once the cap and the market make his relative earnings glaring, Mahomes will still need the Chiefs to be willing to do it. Some teams will, some teams won’t. Some teams will shrug and say, “A deal’s a deal,” and they’ll refuse to tear it up.
That’s likely what the Cowboys would have done if Dak had signed an ultra-long-term deal. That’s why I said last year that, if the Mahomes deal had been presented to Dak by the Cowboys, Dak wouldn’t have signed it.
Most quarterbacks wouldn’t make a one-way commitment for 12 years without the commitment being bilateral and flexible. Most quarterbacks would, or should, jump at the chance to sign a four-year deal that pays $66 million to sign, $75 million the first year, $95 million through two years, $126 million through three years, and most likely a new contract before the fourth year even begins.
The goal should be to get to the table as often as possible, and to maximize the earnings once there. Beyond the money, Prescott’s deal could prompt more and more quarterbacks to push for shorter and shorter contracts.