How can Jordan Love's blockbuster deal impact Dak Prescott's QB market?
Jordan Love became the latest quarterback to sign a contract leaving perhaps Dak Prescott as the only other player who is still waiting for a new deal before the season begins. The Cowboys star is in the final year of his current term and he has watched the entire market get reshaped around him.
First, it was Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence who signed identical five-year $275 million deals. The average annual value for them came to $55 million. One could understand the reason behind them.
Both of them are starters who have led their teams to the playoffs. They have been starters for three years or more now and are the undisputed stars of their franchises.
While that was expected, Jordan Love matching them in terms of annual average value was something that not many might have seen coming. His four-year deal is a year shorter than Lawrence and Burrow, but with a total of $220 million, the yearly mean is still $55 million.
Jordan Love has been a starter for just a year. He has been a good quarterback for half a season towards the end of 2023. He has won one playoff game, against the Cowboys, and lost one against the 49ers. If this record is sufficient to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the league, then Dak Prescott will be demanding something similar.
Dak Prescott will look at Jordan Love and ask for a similar contract
Dak Prescott has been knocked down for failing to succeed in the playoffs. But in the 2022 season, he won a game away from home before losing to the 49ers in the Divisional Round. That is exactly what Jordan Love did in 2023.
And his regular season record is better and more consistent than the Packers quarterback. He also has more experience in the league. He could very well argue that he deserves a bigger deal than the Green Bay star.
But that ignores certain other factors. One is that Jordan Love achieved what he did with the Packers in the playoffs last season in his first year as a starter. Dak Prescott has had multiple opportunities but has never reached the NFC Championship.
Secondly, because he had only one year to show on his resume, the Packers gave him a four-year deal unlike Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, who got five-year deals. Considering Dak Prescott's seniority in that regard, one could argue that he should get an even shorter deal.
Finally, Jordan Love did not have a top receiver like CeeDee Lamb on his side and still achieved what he did. The Cowboys quarterback has no excuse in that regard.
A more similar comparison for Dak Prescott could be Tua Tagovailoa, who also signed a four-year deal this offseason worth $212.4 million. That comes to $53.1 million per year in terms of average annual value. He too has an elite receiver in Tyreek Hill but has failed to break the playoff heartache for the Miami Dolphins that has now stretched more than two decades.
So, if that is the standard, then Dak Prescott should receive somewhere between $53-$55 million. Considering that he is 30 years old and they have Trey Lance sitting behind him, whom they might want to give a chance sooner rather than later, Dallas might decide to give their quarterback a two-year contract. Therefore, the total contract value might be between $106-$110 million.
Jerry Jones has said that he certainly wants to get a deal done. And the Cowboys' quarterback is being represented by the same party that does the Packers' star. Training camp has also already begun for 2024. It would not be a surprise if the contract drops soon.