Dak Prescott had said he wanted to be a Cowboy for life. The Cowboys had insisted there was no moving forward without Prescott. And yet, negotiations lasted more than two years.
Until Monday.
Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to a four-year deal worth $160 million with $126 million guaranteed, two people with knowledge of the contract confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been publicly announced.
Prescott could earn up to $164 million in four years, and the deal includes a no-trade and no-tag clause. Thus Prescott could return to the negotiating table as soon as three years from now. At that point, he’ll be just 30 years old.
Teammates were eager for their quarterback to achieve long-term security.
“It’s no secret we want Dak back,” CeeDee Lamb told USA TODAY Sports in February. “I trust that the guys in the front office are definitely going to make the right decisions. I hope he’s coming back in 2021 and for the long haul.”
With an NFL-record $66 million signing bonus, Prescott is set to earn $75 million in 2021 – one year after he played out a $31.4 million franchise tag. Over his first three years, he’ll earn an average of $42 million per year, the two people told USA TODAY Sports. Technically, the deal that voids to four years will span six years to give the team accounting flexibility logging Prescott’s hefty signing bonus.
Only Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10-year…
