ESPN: Dak Prescott could wait for contracts with Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love to rebalance the market

Daniel Prescott is entering the final year of his four-year, $160 million contract this season, and while extending the quarterback is a top priority for the Dallas Cowboys, Prescott could be getting paid for his patience.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Prescott may be waiting for the right moment to sign his new, long-term contract in Dallas.

“The Cowboys have at least been in contact with Dak Prescott and his representatives,” Fowler explained on SportsCenter on Sunday morning. “They made it clear to the player privately: ‘We don’t want you to become a free agent, we want you to sign this deal with us long-term.’ So far, there hasn’t been much progress. But here’s a small problem, you still have to Tua Tagovailoa in Miami to close a deal. They still have Jordan Love In Green Bay he has to make a deal.

“Dak Prescott has the most leverage over those three. He could very well wait for those two to compete first and then clean up with a huge deal that could rebalance the market.”

Prescott is currently the tenth highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Prescott has said in the past that he “doesn’t play for money” and that he would give up all of his earnings if it meant he could keep playing football. Instead, he would rather “let the business people tell you what it’s worth.” He is currently focused on what he can control, and that is his performance on the field.

Still, waiting to see how the contracts of the next big quarterbacks are structured might be the right move for Prescott to potentially become the highest-paid player in the NFL.

“The Cowboys probably know that’s the dynamic,” Fowler continued. “So they tried to CeeDee Lamb Deal in the meantime? They have a receiver who will make well over $30 million a year in a new contract. They’ll try to pay one of those two in the next month or so. It’s going to be tough.”

Lamb is coming off his best season in 2023, where he totaled 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns on 135 pass catches, the most in the NFL in 2023. Lamb finished eight games with at least 100 yards, including a 227-yard performance against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.

With other star wideouts in AJ Brown, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. BrownAnd Jaylen Waddle All will receive new contracts, and Lamb could be the highest paid of all after signing his new deal. Whether that comes before or after his quarterback remains to be seen.