Dak Prescott might end up being the NFL’s highest-paid player for the 2020 NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys used the franchise tag on the quarterback in March, and the team has reportedly offered him a long-term contract. The two sides are negotiating and have until July 15 to come to an agreement.

There is plenty of debate regarding where Prescott actually ranks among the league’s best quarterbacks. He’s had the benefit of playing with an elite running back and a top offensive line for the entirety of his four-year career. Prescott has struggled at times against the toughest part of Dallas’ schedule, and he’s never reached a conference championship game.

Based purely on last year’s numbers, Prescott deserves to be paid like a top signal caller.

Few quarterbacks put up better stats than Prescott in 2019. He set career-highs in several important categories while leading the NFL’s No.1 ranked offense.

Prescott threw for 4,902 passing yards, finishing behind only Jameis Winston. His 30 touchdown passes were good for fourth in the league. Prescott was fifth with 8.2 yards per attempt.

No other quarterback ranked in the top-five in all three of those categories.

Prescott just missed recording a triple-digit passer rating, ranking 10th at 99.7. Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan finished directly behind the Cowboys’ signal caller.

Prescott was 13th with a 65.1 completion percentage. He was picked off 11 times, posting a better interception rate than Ryan Tannehill, who had the NFL’s best passer rating.

Dallas was first with 431.5 yards per game. The Cowboys were sixth with 27.1 points per game.

Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Prescott has started every game under center. He’s 40-24 in the regular season with two NFC East titles.

The Cowboys went 8-8 last season, failing to post a winning record for the first time in Prescott’s tenure with the team.

Russell Wilson leads all players with a $35 million average yearly salary. Prescott is reportedly seeking a deal that pays him at least that much.

Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter of a football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
RELATED STORIES
National Football League National Football League