Dak Prescott contract extension: Cowboys QB shows he's feeling heat with 'jump off' comment after loss vs. Ravens

David Suggs

Dak Prescott contract extension: Cowboys QB shows he's feeling heat with 'jump off' comment after loss vs. Ravens image

Dak Prescott's status as the league's highest-paid player hasn't come without its pitfalls.

The Cowboys signal-caller has been perhaps the biggest lightning rod for criticism during Dallas' 1-2 start. Mike McCarthy's squad, tipped to compete for a spot at the top of the NFC's ladder heading into the season, has looked rather ordinary through the opening three games of the season. Prescott has found himself in a similar stupor, falling well short of the level of play he showed off en route to a second-place finish in MVP voting last year.

Prescott found his form a bit against the Ravens on Sunday, tearing Baltimore's defense to shreds in the fourth quarter to give the Cowboys a chance at a momentous comeback.

MORE: Is Lamar Jackson or Dak Prescott under more pressure to win Super Bowl in 2024?

Dallas fell short on its attempted rally, however. The result, coupled with Prescott's early-season struggles, has some wondering just what the future holds for the newly minted highest-paid player in the league. The frustration is clearly getting to him, evident by some post-game comments that seemed directed at Cowboys fans.

Here's what you need to know.

SN's NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule

Dak Prescott stats vs. Ravens

At the dawn of the NFL season, Prescott and the Cowboys agreed terms to a four-year, $240 million contract extension. The deal, which promised Prescott $231 million in guaranteed funds, thrust Prescott to the top of the charts in terms of annual salary — his $60 million average annual value (AAV) is $5 million more than second-place Joe Burrow.

Such a price tag places heightened expectations on a player. Prescott is no exception, with many in silver-and-blue hoping the franchise's commitment would propel Dallas toward a title.

Three games is a small sample size, admittedly, but early returns have not been very promising.

NFL's BIGGEST SURPRISES: Are 3-0 Vikings, Steelers, Seahawks for real

Prescott put forth his most effective performance this year against Baltimore, finishing the day with 379 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-51 passing. By comparison, his opposite number — reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson — totaled just 182 yards and one score.

It's easy to believe that Prescott was dealing on Sunday evening, and, to a certain extent, he was, making use of his collection of talented pass-catchers, including CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, KaVontae Turpin, and Jalen Tolbert.

Numbers don't tell the whole tale when it comes to Prescott's Sunday showing, however. The Cowboys offense struggled to mount much of anything in the game's first three quarters. Mike McCarthy's squad mustered six points across the opening 45 minutes of the duel. A near-Ravens collapse was the only thing that saved Prescott's blushes on Sunday night. Well, that and his trebuchet of an arm.

Prescott is by no means a bad quarterback. In fact, he's anything but, proving time and time again that he can lead his side to regular-season success. Whether that is good enough to match the level of investment Dallas placed on him is another matter.

MORE: Why Prescott and CeeDee Lamb had heated exchange | Derrick Henry makes Cowboyas pay for passing on him

Dak Prescott 'jump off' video

Prescott was understandably angry and frustrated after Sunday's loss, and cameras caught him telling an unidentified fan (or group of fans) to "jump off then." 

Prescott seems to instructing those who don't believe the Cowboys will get back on track to jump off the bandwagon. It could be taken as a sign of resilience; it could also be taken as a sign of unrestrained frustration and trying to deflect blame by unnecessarily lashing out at others.

Judge for yourself.

Dak Prescott contract details

Prescott previously signed a massive deal with the Cowboys — a four-year, $160 million contract back in 2021. At the time, it was the second highest annual average behind Patrick Mahomes' $45 million per year.

Prescott's deal was set to expire following the 2024 season, which would allow Prescott to hit the open market. 

The Cowboys prevented that from happening, signing him to a four-year, $240 million contract extension. He'll be with the organization through the 2028 season, making a lofty AAV of $60 million. 

The extension shifts Prescott up to the top of the leaderboards in terms of annual average. His previous average of $40 million per year was tied for the 10th most with Matthew Stafford and Daniel Jones.

RankPlayerAAV
1Dak Prescott$60 million
2Joe Burrow$55 million
 Trevor Lawrence$55 million
 Jordan Love$55 million
5Tua Tagovailoa$53.1 million
6Jared Goff$53 million
7Justin Herbert$52.5 million
8Lamar Jackson$52 million
9Jalen Hurts$51 million
10Kyler Murray$46.1 million

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.