FRISCO — The past two Dallas Cowboys offseasons have been dominated by conversations around contract extensions. Luckily this time around, there will only be one on the table.
Micah Parsons and the Cowboys are inching toward a deal with the team’s defensive juggernaut. Parsons hopes to close in on an extension totaling over $200 million and reset the market for non quarterbacks.
This time a year ago, Dallas’ talks with CeeDee Lamb and Prescott were merely in their infancy stages. Both eventually came to terms with Lamb signing after the end of the preseason and Prescott inking his hours before the start of the regular season.
However, it is the latter of the two carrying a fascinating story behind it. CEO Brian Murphy, VP of Client Strategy AJ Stevens, and agent Todd France all had a hand in Prescott’s negotiations with the Cowboys and have now told the bombshell story of how they convinced the quarterback to turn down $100 million (in guarantees over five years) and force Dallas’ hand on the eventual record four-year deal.
According to Prescott’s team, the negotiations lasted over 100 days and encompassed all facets of his career.
“If you’re telling a guy to turn down $100 million, a lot can happen. Either bad play, injuries,” France said on the Athletes First Family Podcast. So we went through a brainstorm of every scenario that could possibly happen and if it happened what was our plan. And so he knew [how] a significant injury…would impact another negotiation and…he was comfortable with all that from the insurance plan and understanding that that’s not the end all.”
Prescott, an unheralded 2016 fourth-round pick, wanted to bite on the initial offer of $100 million in guarantees. But through his own patience and the help of his team he held firm and waited for more … to the tune of, eventually, $231 million in guarantees over four years … and changed the game for future franchise quarterbacks.
Perhaps their is some fortune in Prescott cementing these matters before the year kicked off, given the hamstring injury that sidelined him from Week 9 until the end of the season. Nonetheless, it appears he is working back into form and should be ready to go for 2025.
Hopefully that start sees him fully healthy ready to continue another year he earned from his extension while playing alongside both Lamb and Parsons with their extensions in tow.
