Less than two years after signing a four-year, $240 million extension with Dallas, Prescott’s reign as the NFL’s highest-paid player has officially come to an end.

This comes after Patrick Mahomes agreed to a contract worth $504.75 million to stay with the Kansas City Chiefs. This has made Mahomes the highest-paid quarterback in football. 

When Prescott signed his extension in 2024, he became the first NFL player to earn an average of $60 million per season. The deal pushed him ahead of any other quarterbacks in the league. However, Mahomes’ new contract reportedly carries an average annual value of $63,093,750.

Mahomes is now the highest-paid player in NFL history. This extension is actually a second reworking of the 10-year $450 million deal that he had signed back in 2020.

The first reworking of the contract happened in 2022, and after this extension, the Chiefs will be paying Mahomes till 2033, when he will be 38 years old.

What’s important to note is the fact that Mahomes is coming off an ACL injury and after a season where he missed the playoffs for the first time.

Mahomes also posted career lows after throwing for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 63.1% pass completion in 14 games.

Meanwhile, for the Cowboys, this is also a reminder that the average annual salary for all players, not just quarterbacks, is increasing. This is especially a problem when you consider that their star wide receiver, George Pickens, is seeking a long-term deal to stay with the team.

However, according to one analyst, Mahomes’ new deal shows a way in which Prescott could help the Cowboys.

NFL Analyst Suggests Prescott To Make A Sacrifice

The Cowboys have rewarded their stars very well with big contracts. Before Mahomes’ deal, Dak Prescott was the highest-paid quarterback and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is the highest-paid at his position.

This has unfortunately caused problems for the Cowboys, who are desperately trying to re-sign star wide receiver George Pickens.

According to Zach Wolchuk of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, he has suggested Prescott take a hometown discount to prioritize signing key free agents.

He is not the only one who has discussed the idea. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman mentioned how Prescott could take a page out of Tom Brady’s book and take a discount.

According to Spotrac, Pickens is expected to land a four-year contract worth $124 million with an average salary of $31 million. If the Cowboys were to try to sign him to such an extension, Prescott taking a pay cut or restructuring his contract could be their best option.

Do you think Prescott should take a pay cut to help sign Pickens? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Koushik Biswas