Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott speaks through a information convention at the team’s NFL soccer apply facility in Frisco, Texas, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. The Cowboys and Prescott have eventually agreed on the richest contract in club history, two several years right after negotiations began with the star quarterback. (AP Image/LM Otero)
AP
Dak Prescott walked briskly and bounced up the couple of techniques on to the stage for the announcement of the richest agreement in the storied history of the Dallas Cowboys for their most up-to-date star quarterback.
It was five months nearly to the day Wednesday because the ugly ankle personal injury that ended Prescott’s 2020 season and led to immediate concerns whether or not the large payday would ever appear right after a very long stalemate.
The answer came two times earlier when the sides — two years just after they begun speaking — agreed on a $160 million, four-calendar year deal with the NFL’s second-optimum annual common behind Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes.
Now Prescott is ready to respond to the inquiries about coming back from the compound fracture and dislocation of his appropriate ankle from the New York Giants on Oct. 11.
“I assumed about jogging out right here and leaping up on the phase,” explained Prescott, who broke into a wild smile although crossing the stage at team headquarters in Frisco, north of Dallas. “But I do not know if you all are ready for that. But I’m healthful.”
Prescott wouldn’t put a timeline on when he would be completely cleared, but said, “I’ll be completely ready when it matters.”
For now, Prescott was basking in the hourlong news convention that served as a celebration of the fourth $100 million contract in club historical past. The very first was quarterback Tony Romo, whose back again damage in the 2016 preseason opened the door for Prescott to be the starter from the 1st video game of his rookie yr.
Prescott’s deal provided NFL data with a $66 million signing reward and a to start with-yr price of $75 million. There is a no-trade clause, and the Cowboys can’t use the franchise tag after the contract. This agreement came a working day just before a deadline for the Cowboys to put the tag on Prescott for a 2nd consecutive time.
Most importantly for the Cowboys as they consider to end a 25-calendar year operate without the need of even achieving the NFC championship sport, Prescott’s income cap strike will be $22.2 million alternatively of $37.7 million less than the tag. Dallas requires support on protection and now has some money to shell out.
“I feel excellent about our upcoming,” proprietor Jerry Jones claimed. “I never thoughts telling you the primary rationale I truly feel good is the person sitting down correct up coming doorway to me.”
Ahead of the personal injury, Prescott experienced started out each individual activity because the beginning of his rookie 12 months immediately after Romo obtained damage. Prescott was the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Calendar year while major the Cowboys to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and two a long time afterwards received his first playoff activity though reaching his next Professional Bowl.
Negotiations on a new agreement begun the adhering to offseason, when Prescott was likely into the remaining calendar year of a four-year offer that compensated him a full of about $4 million as a fourth-spherical choose. That provided $2 million in the ultimate period.
Prescott’s abbreviated 2020 season was on a $31.4 million franchise tag, and taking part in on a next tag would have drastically improved the probability of the 27-calendar year-old QB leaving in free of charge agency next yr.
“Never in a million many years did I imagine not remaining a Cowboy once I place on this uniform and place on this star,” Prescott claimed. “So as a result of it all, via the two a long time I guess you can say or extra, there was never a slight question in my brain that I would not dress in the star for the rest of my lifestyle.”
Jones in no way wavered in expressing he thought of Prescott a franchise quarterback, but acknowledged the drawn-out negotiations established discussion that took on “a lifestyle of its own” more than regardless of whether the Cowboys thought in the former Mississippi Condition standout for the lengthy term.
“Don’t confuse that with how appropriate we think this determination is, and how appropriate and how considerably it is been there from the incredibly commencing,” Jones stated. “This suits what I and what I want our Cowboy fans to believe about when we assume about the Dallas Cowboys.”
Even right before Prescott’s personal injury, the Cowboys commenced slowly but surely in mentor Mike McCarthy’s 1st period. But Prescott was nonetheless leading the NFL in yards passing for the league’s No. 1 offense. Those people numbers plummeted as Dallas shed its initially four online games with no Prescott, falling to 2-7 on the way to a 6-10 end.
With the huge agreement, Prescott will become the focal place of ending by much the longest extend in franchise historical past devoid of reaching a Tremendous Bowl — additional than two times as prolonged as the 10 many years it took Dallas to go from an enlargement staff to its 1st Super Bowl look during the 1970 season.
Due to the fact going 13-3 as a rookie, Prescott’s common-season file is 29-24. And he will be making an attempt to end a two-year operate of missing the playoffs, which final took place to the Cowboys in 2013.
“Eagerness, pleasure, anxiousness, to give this business and the Jones spouse and children anything they invested in,” Prescott mentioned. “That’s a Tremendous Bowl, and that is to go win.”