The Philadelphia Eagles announced Thursday evening that they would be signing Carson Wentz to a new four-year extension that would keep him in Philadelphia through 2024 but the biggest winner of Wentz new contract is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and it’s not even a close debate.
The contract should come with little surprise with the way Wentz has played when on the field.
Many around the league wondered heading into the offseason what Howie Roseman would do about the predicament under center. On the one hand, Nick Foles won the team a Super Bowl and had been clutch in the playoffs. On the other, Wentz led the way as the team’s starter and put them in position to win deep into postseason play.
If people are still looking for the reason why Foles is now in Jacksonville, Roseman just cashed in the answer.
The Eagles announced Thursday evening that they would be signing Wentz to a new four-year extension that would keep him in Philadelphia through 2024. The contract should come with little surprise with the way Wentz has played when on the field.
According to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the contract is worth $128 million over the four new years. Don’t do the math and hurt your brain; that’s $32 million a season. The critical number to remember when thinking of Wentz is 107. No matter if he’s 107% healthy or not, Philadelphia guaranteed the former No.2 overall pick $107 million in guaranteed money. Wentz’s new deal set the record for the most guaranteed cash given to an NFL player.
“Can’t even explain to you how excited I am right now to be a part of this great city for this many more years,” Wentz said in a statement. “It means the world to me. From the moment I got drafted here, I knew this place was special.”
While Wentz is celebrating a huge payday, another QB should be excited as well.
Quick recap
Since being selected with the 135th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Rayne Dakota “Dak” Prescott has defied the odds of his draft placement. Being thrust into a starting role during his rookie season, the former Mississippi State signal caller took command of the Cowboys offense.
In his first season, Prescott threw over 3,600 yards along with 23 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference, leading the Cowboys to a top seed ranking in the playoffs. He would take home Rookie of the Year honors and receive his first Pro Bowl nod. His second season had some growing pains along the way, throwing 13 interceptions and failing to return to the postseason.
Prescott shined last season for the Cowboys once again, throwing a career-high 3,885 yards. He also threw 22 touchdowns and led Dallas to the divisional round of the postseason after a 24-22 victory over Seattle.
With Prescott entering the final year of his contract, the now-franchise gunslinger has thrown for 10,000 yards, 67 touchdowns and a career QBR rating of 95.9. As a starter, he’s finished 32-16, winning 67% of his games.
Contract extensions have been the talk around The Star with multiple players up for new deals. A team can find ways to win with a game manager under center but more times than not, having an elite QV is what sends a team over the edge when chasing a Lombardi. While Prescott isn’t elite, he’s earned the right to call himself an above-average.
Thanks to the news on Thursday night, Prescott now is determining the plays. He now can either run what’s in front of him or call an audible and make a run on his terms.
Compare and contrast
Let’s take talent out of the equation real quick. When looking at the numbers, both NFC East QBs have seen their fair share of success. They’ve had their highs and also experienced their lower moments.
In Wentz’s first season, the Eagles missed the postseason while Prescott won over the NFL. Flash forward a year, and it’s clear to see why Philadelphia traded up for the North Dakota State product. Wentz was having an MVP caliber season before tearing his ACL in Week 13. The Eagles pocket passer threw 3,269 yards along with 33 touchdowns on his way to an 11-2 record.
Who knows? Maybe if Wentz stayed healthy, he’d be hoisting the MVP trophy over Foles. Possibly there’d never be talks of “controversy” on who should start. No matter what, that’s Jacksonville’s problem now.
Wentz through three seasons has thrown for 10,152 yards, 70 touchdowns and has a QBR rating of 92.5. His career winning percentage sits just below 58%. The numbers between the two are just millimeters apart when looking at yards, touchdowns, completion rating and QBR.
The most significant difference between the two, however, is health. Wentz’s last two seasons ended early due to lower body injuries while Prescott has started every game since entering the league. One is 1-2 in playoff appearances while the other has yet to take a snap in postseason football.
When you look at it, that actually might play into both parties favor. Although Wentz has missed eight games in two years, his numbers are higher than his counterpart in Dallas. On the flip side, Prescott’s ability to remain healthy merits him some praise on his adversity.
So, why is Prescott the biggest winner?
It was no secret the Eagles were going to extend Wentz. The biggest question was the amount to set the domino effect into motion.
If healthy, Wentz is one of the league’s top quarterbacks and far superior to Prescott when speaking of talent. His size, arm strength, and ability to remain calm in the pocket makes him potentially a future top-five QB.
This isn’t saying Prescott isn’t talented. Many teams would love to have someone like Dallas’ QB in their locker room just based on leadership skills alone. Prescott’s attributes shine best when throwing on the run and his overall mobility. Time will tell if Wentz still can find success in those two areas.
Both QBs have set their teams up for success and should run the NFC East for years to come. One isn’t more deserving of a contract extension than the other after their first three seasons.
Price is what it all comes down to. Now, we have a starting point. Rumor is Prescott’s new deal could have him making $30 million per year. That probably will rise following Wentz’s financially successful evening. Trusting health alone, Prescott should at least be able to tack on another million.
Jared Goff deserves some love, and all this will be futile when Patrick Mahomes gets the contract of a lifetime. This was the match the NFL was waiting to ignite. Now, it’s burning brighter than ever.
The Cowboys are known as “America’s Team”. They’ll be America’s Piggy Bank now if they want to keep Prescott in the Lone Star State past 2019.
Jerry Jones, Mr.Prescott will see you now.