Dak Prescott gives honest take on Jalen Hurts' mammoth $255M contract extension: "Not a fan of his team"
Dak Prescott subtly fueled their rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles when he commented about Jalen Hurts’ massive contract extension. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback said during his latest appearance on the Adam Schefter Podcast:
“Not a fan of his team and when they have success necessarily, but a fan of him and the way that he approaches it.”
Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension, making him the richest player in the NFL in terms of annual average value. His deal beats the three-year, $150 million extension Aaron Rodgers signed with the Green Bay Packers last off-season. Hurts’ new contract includes $179.3 million in guaranteed money and a $23.2 million signing bonus
Highest-paid QBs in the NFL in new money average per year:
1. Jalen Hurts: $51M
2. Aaron Rodgers: $49M
3. Kyler Murray: $46.1M
4. Deshaun Watson: $46M
5. Patrick Mahomes: $45M
6. Josh Allen: $43M
T-7. Daniel Jones: $40M
T-7. Matthew Stafford: $40M
T-7. Dak Prescott: $40M
But while the heated Cowboys-Eagles rivalry is woven into NFL heritage, Dak Prescott stated that he is a fan of the former Oklahoma standout.
“Yeah, congratulations, and I’m proud of him. I hosted Jalen on a visit way back at Mississippi State years ago, and I’m a fan of the guy and the way he plays the game… He’s somebody that was counted out early because of his playstyle and just has had success, trusted himself, and trusted in the process. Proud of him, and he deserves every bit of the money.”
Jalen Hurts finished the 2022 NFL season with 3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards, and 35 total touchdowns. Those numbers earned the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback the first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods of his career. He was also one of the finalists for last year’s Most Valuable Award.
Meanwhile, Dak Prescott will play in the third year of a four-year, $160 million contract extension. He had a career-high 15 interceptions with 2,860 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 games last season.
Dak Prescott will lead a Cowboys offense in transition
As Hurts solidified his role as the Eagles' starting quarterback, the Dallas Cowboys will look to Dak Prescott for leadership after some familiar faces left. The team released All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason due to declining production and salary cap concerns from his six-year, $90 million contract.
Their former offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, joined the Los Angeles Chargers in the same capacity.
Former Cowboys quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier will also fulfill the same role with the Chargers. Dak Prescott spoke about the departures of the people who helped build Dallas’ offense over the years:
“It wasn’t easy, put it like that. Starting off Kellen, not only Kellen Moore but Doug Nussmeier, just two men that I’ve grown with. Me and Kellen have created a relationship ever since I’ve been drafted as teammates, then player-coach, and at the end of the day, a brother. Seeing him leave was tough but happy for him, happy for his opportunity.”
“And then Zeke. That one still doesn’t feel right, going into the facility starting the offseason program without him. He’s been my locker buddy for years and just a guy that I’ll go to war with and do anything for. It’s tough not going to work with him now, but he’s somebody I support, he won’t be a free agent for long, and I don’t understand why he still is.”
“But yeah, it’s been tough. But what has changed, change is good as well. So I’ve got to embrace what we’ve got moving forward, and I’m excited for it.”
Though he has moved on from these recent changes, he would enjoy having Elliott back on the Cowboys roster.
“That’d sure be nice. And I know myself, and I can tell you there are a lot of people on not only on the team but in the organization that would love that. I’m sure Zeke would as well. So we understand that this is a business and as you said, the markets change and things go up and down. So it doesn’t always work out the way we see it. But hopefully, hopefully, that could happen.”
Tony Pollard will be the Cowboys’ starting running back for 2023 after signing a $10 million franchise tag. Dak Prescott will also have another reliable target in wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who had 1,000-yard seasons in 2020 and 2021.