CLEVELAND – Unsolicited, members of the Dallas Cowboys called out to quarterback Dak Prescott with their wrist sizes.
Now that Prescott is the NFL’s first-ever $60 million man (annually), the other Cowboys are expecting him to help put some ice below their hands – apparently in the form of luxury watch brands such as Rolex or Audemars Piguet watches.
The direct deposit from Prescott’s record-setting four-year contract extension worth $240 million hadn’t even hit his bank account before the teammates began requesting jewelry and other gifts. Prescott cashed in for playing the most important position on the most valuable team in sports and is guaranteed $231 million – $1 million more than the previous record for assured money, given to his opponent Sunday, Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns. Dallas throttled Cleveland 33-17 on Sunday hours after terms of the deal, which owner Jerry Jones confirmed, were reported.
“It’s because I was up,” Prescott said following another summer of record contracts handed out to franchise quarterbacks. “The next guy expects to beat me. It’s the way the league is going.”
Prescott credited the players and league for the growth to help the cap swell in upcoming years and allow teams to devote that level of resources to one position – even one as pivotal as quarterback.
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What excites Prescott most, other than the zeroes on his future checks, might be that all of the negotiating and questions from the media are in the past. He did not enjoy having the conversation in the larger sporting world be about his pockets.
“I don’t play for the money,” Prescott said.
Agent Todd France and Prescott had one chat between Thursday and Sunday, Prescott said. He didn’t gain the impression his representation and the team were close, but his confidence remained high. He found out the deal was complete 20 minutes before it was publicized to the rest of the world Sunday morning. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was in Prescott’s hotel room, the two receiving physical therapy, when France called with good news. Elliott and Prescott were taken in the same draft, Elliott fourth overall and Prescott in the fourth round. Prescott said “Zeke” made sure the quarterback never pulled out his wallet during those early days. He’ll be the one returning the favor now.
In the Cowboys’ locker room, aside from the glow of a victory, there was a breath of fresh air now that the quarterback’s deal was done.
“We have a little bit of experience with distractions,’ head coach Mike McCarthy said, ‘so we’re working through those things and building off our history.”
Zack Martin, the Cowboys’ right guard, said “it was juice” for the team and that it was only a matter of time before the payday came.
“Extremely excited for him. No one deserves it more than that guy for what he does for this football team not only on the field but in the locker room,” Martin said. “He’s really an impressive person, and he’s earned everything,”
Prescott’s No. 1 receiver, CeeDee Lamb – fresh off his own four-year, $136 million extension – said it meant “everything” to him.
“We got a lot together,” Lamb said. “We got a lot to accomplish.”
The focus now returns to football.
“We can stop with this narrative about how much money we’re going to make,” Lamb said.
The idea that Prescott has to now live up to the payday is not something the 31-year-old thinks about.
“I put the most pressure on myself, simple as that,” Prescott said. “I’m not happy with my personal performance today. That’s what motivates me. That’s what pushes me.”
With the team trailing 3-0 in the first quarter on Dallas’ second drive of the game, Prescott showed why Jerry Jones invested in him to that level, delivering a perfectly placed throw on the right sideline to Lamb. With his team on the doorstep of a score, Prescott hung in long as he could while facing an all-out blitz and lofted another on-point pass over the Browns’ secondary to Brandin Cooks for a touchdown.
The Cowboys cruised against a wallowing Browns team that struggled to move the ball in any meaningful way.
Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense didn’t fire on all cylinders the entire afternoon. In the whole third quarter, for example, as the Cowboys ran just 12 plays, Prescott was 2-for-6 for 5 passing yards. He called the second half for the offense “sloppy.”
But that was more than fine on this day. Prescott completed 19 of 32 with 179 passing yards and the touchdown to Cooks. He tried to act disappointed in the locker room, but everyone knew what kind of day it was for him.
Then his teammates politely reminded him of their wrist sizes.