Dak Prescott not pleased with his play vs. Browns but ‘happy’ with new contract

CLEVELAND — Dak Prescott was in his Cleveland Marriott Downtown hotel room, getting some normal pregame work in with his personal trainer when he received a FaceTime call from his agent, Todd France.

“It was a little emotional call, from the both of us,” Prescott said. “I put some pressure on him, I guess you could say. He definitely delivered. It was a great call.”

Not long after that discussion, Prescott had a new contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys. The four-year deal worth $240 million with $231 million guaranteed makes the 31-year-old the highest-paid player in NFL history.

“I wanted to be a Cowboy,” Prescott said. “Wanted to stay a Cowboy. I’m not thinking about anywhere else. Just happy it got done for all of us.”

Prescott then called his marketing team, his girlfriend and other family and friends. Less than two hours later, Prescott was wearing a custom suit and boarding the team buses for their season opener against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field.

Dak Prescott: “That’s one.” pic.twitter.com/UbTbLrplTE

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 8, 2024

Minutes before the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady shared his thoughts on Prescott’s new deal.

“Now he’s gotta go out there and earn it,” said Brady, who was calling his first game for Fox. “2023 was his best season. Going forward it’s going to be what happens in the postseason.”

Prescott knows that’s what’s missing from his resume. Last year’s runner-up for NFL MVP hasn’t won enough playoff games. Dallas is 2-5 in the postseason in Prescott’s previous eight seasons. Some thought that’s what would prevent Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from giving Prescott a new deal, a desire to first see more January success.

Prescott doesn’t view this deal as adding any pressure.

“I put the most pressure on myself,” he said. “Simple as that. I’m not happy with my personal performance today, and that’s what motivates me. That’s what pushes me. You try to be … bummed about it in the locker room, but it’s a win on the road, which is good for the team. And then you have teammates telling you, ‘It was a hell of a day for you.’ I put the most pressure on myself. Nobody is a bigger critic than I am personally. I expect greatness out of myself, my standards and my expectations, and the same for this team. There is no added pressure.”

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Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he and Prescott celebrated the news for a few minutes in one of their normal pregame meetings. McCarthy called the timing of the contract “different.” He also joked that the team has “a little bit of experience with distractions.”

“Just so happy, so proud of Dak for getting that contract done,” he said. “It’s obviously very exciting for us as an organization. That’s a big move to lock up your quarterback of the future for that many years. … It’s something that you make sure you celebrate for the individual. I thought he was locked in today. I thought he was normal in his approach and so forth. That’s the way he does everything.”

Jones, 81, said before the game that he hopes Prescott will be the Cowboys’ quarterback “for the rest of my time.” Prescott noted that he expects Jones to be around for more than the next five years, so that would mean another deal with the Cowboys.

“We’re going to be able to handle this,” Jones said of the financial impact on the rest of Dallas’ salary cap. “We’re going to be able to get players around him that give us a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. He was our best chance of getting one. … This was the thing to do for what we’re here for, and that’s to win a championship.”

Prescott said negotiations had the sides “meet in the middle.”

“When you look into the details, it works for everyone,” he added, “understanding where this cap is going. I’m just excited that it’s behind us and we can focus on winning games.”

As Prescott mentioned, he wasn’t pleased with his performance. The Cowboys were in control throughout the game, which ended in a 33-17 Dallas win. But he completed 19 of 32 passes for only 179 yards and one touchdown and posted an 85.3 passer rating. His top target was star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who finished with only five catches for 61 yards.

“Just a sloppy second half,” Prescott said. “Obviously, in the first half, we did pretty well. Took a sack early, but other than that, we moved the ball and we got opportunities. We just couldn’t convert on third downs. That’s something that we’ve been great at, something we take a lot of pride in converting on third downs. Had a couple of three-and-outs in the second half that made that team think they had a chance to come back in this game and put a little pressure on our defense.

“I can be better in a lot of ways.”

At one point, Prescott got emotional while talking to reporters. He was specifically asked about Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas running back who was also in his hotel room when Prescott got the call from France on Sunday morning.

“He was the first guy I hugged after getting the news,” Prescott said. “I think about a guy that really took care of me for the first couple of years when you talk about finances. He did. Whether it be partying, dinners, whatever. He’s a guy that wouldn’t let me pull out my wallet. He took care of me. For him, to be there in that moment, that hug, that was special.”

Prescott also joked that several of his teammates gave him their wrist sizes in the locker room. They’re hoping for expensive Rolex or Audemars Piguet watches.

Dak you ain’t get mine wtf!!! @dak https://t.co/ArDJ0zSkm2

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) September 9, 2024

Now that Prescott and Lamb are signed for the foreseeable future, next up will be superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons. That will likely eventually give Dallas three players making at least $34 million per season.

“I said, ‘Got Damn!’ He didn’t cheat the game,” Parsons said of his reaction to learning of Prescott’s deal. “He earned everything he got. Good things happen when you don’t cheat the game.”

Is he next?

“We’ll see,” Parsons said. “I just gotta keep doing what I’m doing. Keep working. Keep trying to be the best player I can be. And try to win championships. And they’ll probably throw me a little something on the side.”

(Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)