Dak Prescott could soon become the next quarterback to cash in on the booming NFL market.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick argued on Wednesday’s episode of “Get Up” that the Dallas Cowboys have little choice but to pay a premium price to retain their star quarterback.
Riddick stated he is “fine with” Dallas potentially making Prescott the NFL’s highest-paid player with an extension worth $65 million per year. He emphasized the inevitability of Prescott’s value within the current market landscape.
“It’s a never-ending argument when you’re talking about trying to ascertain what a player’s worth,” Riddick said. “And I know fans will get all up in arms about, ‘He’s not worth $60 million plus. He’s not worth more than Patrick Mahomes.’ … But look, this is the market right now.”
The former safety and NFL scout highlighted the “scarcity issue” at the quarterback position. He warned that the Cowboys could face a harsh reality if they hesitate to give Prescott a payday commensurate with the market.
“What is your next best alternative if you’re the Dallas Cowboys?” Riddick asked rhetorically. “What are you gonna do? Who are you gonna turn to?”
Riddick also noted that Prescott’s current contract gives him significant leverage in negotiations as he enters the final season of his deal.
“Dak has you right by the you-know-what,” Riddick claimed. “He has you. Because you can’t franchise tag him, and he has a no-trade clause. He can do what he wants to do. He can literally just walk out the door.”
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While Riddick believes Cowboys backup Trey Lance has potential, he doesn’t see the team turning to an “unknown commodity” under center, especially as they’re poised to invest heavily in other key players like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.
He added that drafting a new starting quarterback on a cheaper rookie scale is easier said than done.
“Look, Dak is gonna get his. He’s gonna get his,” Riddick declared. “It’ll be north of $60 million; I won’t bat an eye at it. Because that’s the market. That’s the price of doing business, and that’s the price of doing business with a guy who played this very well in terms of how his contract was written and structured.”
The situation underscores the complexities of managing a roster in today’s NFL, where elite quarterbacks command top dollar.
As the Cowboys weigh their options, it seems increasingly likely that Prescott will secure a lucrative extension, reflecting both his individual value and the broader market dynamics at play.
