Major contract extension makes Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott highest-paid player in NFL

Former Mississippi State quarterback turned Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott is now the highest-paid player in the NFL.

First reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Prescott and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year extension for $240 million with a historic $231 million guaranteed to the longtime signal-caller. The agreement catapults over other recent major deals etched between NFL franchises in Green Bay and Miami and their quarterbacks Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively.

Though Prescott is in for a pretty sweet payday, he assured Cowboy fans and front-office management that money is not his primary motivation. Instead, the main driving force for the veteran is a desire to bring Dallas back to a glory the franchise has not experienced since the 1990s.

“That’s what motivates me on being here, just to be the quarterback that does it, that wins it,” Prescott told the media on Thursday. “I don’t think that winning it any other place would be the same as winning it here.”

After a historic run at Mississippi State, one in which the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff’s first-ever poll, it didn’t take long for Prescott to surge as one of the top field generals in the NFL. In his eight seasons in Dallas, Prescott has passed for 29,459 yards, 202 touchdowns, 74 interceptions, and has completed 67% of his passes.

He also earned the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, named after the late legendary Jackson State and Chicago Bears running back, in 2022. That award is given annually to a player who has shown a dedicated commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field.

Prescott’s record deal was inked just hours before the Cowboys’ season-opener against the Cleveland Browns. That game will kick off in Ohio at 3:25 p.m. central.