Even though he’s out injured for the rest of the season, Dak Prescott is still a media darling. It’s one thing to discuss a team’s QB when the franchise is not doing well, as is the case with the Dallas Cowboys currently. But even with Prescott out, the team is losing games left, right, and center.
Prescott has some star power, but Cowboys legend Jimmy Johnson believes that the Dallas front office, led by owner/GM Jerry Jones, made a blunder when extending the 31-year-old quarterback’s contract.
Jimmy Johnson Has His Own Ideas on Dak Prescott’s Contract
The Cowboys made history when they awarded Prescott a massive $240 million contract extension in September 2024. Fans celebrated Jones and the management for securing their franchise quarterback, but Johnson wasn’t impressed.
During his appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach criticized the team’s approach. He believes Dallas rushed into the deal without considering the long-term financial impact.
“First of all, they’re so financially strapped with some of these contracts,” Johnson said. “I would have never given Prescott a new contract. I’d let him play it out. He’s the highest-paid player in the league. He’s not the best player in the league.”
Johnson argued that the Cowboys could have saved a truckload of money by letting Prescott prove himself during the season instead of locking in a deal worth $60 million annually.
.@JimmyJohnson on Dak:
"I would never have given Prescott a new contract. I'd have let him play it out… They're so financially strapped right now. I don't know what they do." pic.twitter.com/2sOLRRTTCx
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 27, 2024
He pointed out that Prescott’s performance in high-stakes playoff games hasn’t always met expectations. The contract also ties the Cowboys’ hands financially. Johnson argued that the team should have waited to see how Prescott performed in the playoffs or handled potential injuries before committing to such a lucrative extension.
“He wasn’t gonna go anywhere. If they had gone to the Super Bowl with him, he wasn’t gonna go anywhere. Pay him whatever. If he struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate. Or if he got hurt, you save money,” he said.
As per Spotrac, Prescott’s deal includes an $80 million signing bonus and $231 million in guarantees, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. He has been a cornerstone for the Cowboys since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2016. In the 2023-2024 season, Prescott threw for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns, proving that he still can perform at a high level.
Prescott always wanted to lead the Cowboys’ attack. Following the season-opening win against the Cleveland Browns, he addressed contract negotiations, saying, “At the end of the day, it’s a business. I want to be here.”
As time passes, it will be interesting to see whether Prescott and the Cowboys’ belief in his ability is able to deliver their first Super Bowl since 1996.