Breaking down Dak Prescott's contract: how much is he making?

Breaking down Dak Prescott's contract: how much is he making?

Dak Prescott’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys set a benchmark in the NFL when he signed a four-year, $240 million extension in September 2024. With an average annual salary of $60 million and $231 million guaranteed, the deal underscored his pivotal role in Dallas and placed him among football’s highest-paid players.

Dak Prescott at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. Dak Prescott at Orpheum Theater
Dak Prescott in the AELTC's Parkside Suite (L). Dak Prescott arrives at EA Sports presents The Madden Bowl (R). Photo: Stuart C. Wilson, Kaitlyn Morris (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • In 2016, Dak Prescott signed a modest four-year, $2.7 million rookie contract with the Dallas Cowboys, but quickly proved his worth.
  • In 2021, Dak Prescott signed a $160 million extension with $126 million guaranteed.
  • In 2024, Dak Prescott signed a record-setting four-year contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys worth $240 million.
  • His contract features a record-breaking $231 million in guaranteed money, the most ever in NFL history at the time of his signing.
  • Prescott secured an $80 million signing bonus as part of his extension.

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Profile summary

Full nameRayne Dakota Prescott
GenderMale
Date of birth29 July 1993
Age32 years old (as of 2025)
Zodiac signLeo
Place of birthSulphur, Louisiana, United States
Current residenceFrisco, Texas, United States
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityAfrican-American
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Height in feet6'2"
Height in centimetres188
Weight in pounds238
Weight in kilograms108
Hair colourBlack
Eye colourDark brown
FatherNathaniel Prescott
MotherPeggy Prescott
Siblings4
RelationshipEngaged
PartnerSarah Jane Ramos
Children2
High SchoolHaughton High School
UniversityMississippi State University
ProfessionProfessional football player
Net worth$90 million
Instagram@_4dak
Facebook @DakPrescott
X@dak

Breaking down Dak Prescott's contract with the Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott’s contracts with the Cowboys trace his rise from rookie underdog to top-paid quarterback. Here’s a breakdown of his deals and guarantees.

2016–2019: Rookie contract

Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick in 2016, signed a four-year rookie contract with the Cowboys worth about $2.7 million, including a $383,000 signing bonus. Despite being one of the lowest-paid starting quarterbacks in the league, he far outperformed expectations.

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The NFL player, Dak, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, earned two Pro Bowl selections, and led the Cowboys to a 13–3 record in his debut season.

2020: Franchise tag

Dak Prescott at AT&T Stadium
Dak Prescott looks on prior to the game against the Washington Commanders. Photo: Sam Hodde
Source: Getty Images

Once Dak Prescott’s rookie contract ended, negotiations with the Cowboys hit a standstill. Dallas responded by assigning him the exclusive franchise tag in March 2020, worth roughly $31.4 million for that season.

His year was cut short on 11 October 2020, when he sustained a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle against the New York Giants. The injury required surgery and highlighted the dangers of competing on a one-year tag without long-term protection.

2021–2024 (pre-2024 extension): First major deal

In March 2021, after recovering from his injury, Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million extension, keeping him with the team through 2024. The deal included $126 million guaranteed and a then-record $66 million signing bonus, one of the largest in NFL history at the time.

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2024–2024: What is Dak Prescott's new contract?

Dak Prescott at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Dak Prescott during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. Photo: Todd Kirkland
Source: Getty Images

Dak Prescott’s latest contract with the Dallas Cowboys is one of the richest in NFL history. In September 2024, he signed a four-year, $240 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys. The deal includes $231 million guaranteed and an $80 million signing bonus, securing long-term financial stability through 2028.

The extension carries an average annual value of $60 million, making Prescott the highest-paid player in league history by AAV. It also includes a no-trade clause, a no-franchise tag clause, and a no-transition tag clause, along with four voidable years spanning 2029 to 2032.

According to NBC Sports, the full details of Dak Prescott's four-year, $240 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys are as follows:

YearBase salaryGuarantee details
2024$1.25 millionFully guaranteed
2025$47.75 millionFully guaranteed
2026$40 millionInjury guaranteed at signing; fully guaranteed 5th day of 2025
2027$45 millionInjury guaranteed at signing; fully guaranteed 5th day of 2026
2028$55 million$17M injury guaranteed at signing; fully guaranteed 5th day of 2027
-$80 millionSigning bonus (paid at signing)

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The Cowboys' owner, Jerry Jones, spoke about Dak Prescott's contract guaranteed money, stating it means Dak's big commitment for the next five years, and he has confidence in him. He stated:

What the guaranteed money means is a big commitment for the next five years to our future, if you will. There's a lot of me that thinks that Dak is our quarterback for the rest of my time. That's not just limited to the terms of this contract, either.

Jerry added:

Dak's making a commitment to us. I think that's very special. I think that you have to be somebody special to merit what we've done here with him, and I think he's that. … I've got a lot of confidence in him.
Dak Prescott at AT&T Stadium
Dak Prescott warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions. Photo: Cooper Neill
Source: Getty Images

Dak Prescott found the timing of his extension unexpected, as just a day before the deal was finalised, he fully anticipated entering the next game without an agreement in place. Speaking in a small interview room after the Cowboys’ 33-17 win over the Browns, Prescott said:

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If you would have asked me this [Saturday], I would have said I was going in the game without one. That didn't mean the contract talks was going to end, but I was just going to focus on what I could control.

On his approach to contract negotiations, Dak stated:

At the end of the day, it's a business. I'm going to say it: I want to be here, but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I've watched played for other teams. So my point in saying that is that's not something to fear. That may be a reality for me one day. That may not be my decision.

Dak Prescott's 2025 contract restructure

Dak Prescott at AT&T Stadium
Dak Prescott warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions. Photo: Cooper Neill
Source: Getty Images

In March 2025, the Dallas Cowboys restructured Dak’s contract by converting $45.75 million of his base salary into a signing bonus. This adjustment lowered his 2025 salary cap hit from $89.89 million to $53.29 million, though the total cap charge, including prorated bonuses, stands at $50,518,430.

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The move was designed to free up roughly $36.6 million in cap space for the team’s 2025 season.

FAQs

  1. Who is Dak Prescott? Dak is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL.
  2. How old is Dak Prescott? The American football player is 32 years old as of 2025. He was born on 29 July 1993.
  3. Where is Dak Prescott from? He was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, United States.
  4. Is Dak Prescott the highest-paid QB? As of 2025, Dak Prescott is the highest-paid NFL quarterback by average annual value, earning approximately $60 million annually.
  5. When does Dak Prescott's contract end? The footballer's contract is set to end after the 2028 NFL season.
  6. How many years are left on Dak Prescott's contract? As of September 2025, Prescott has three years left on his contract.
  7. How much of Dak Prescott's new contract is guaranteed? Dak’s latest contract guarantees $231 million.
  8. Who is the highest-paid player on the Dallas Cowboys? Dak Prescott is the highest-paid player on the Dallas Cowboys, earning an average annual salary of $60 million.

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Dak Prescott’s contract reflects his vital role with the Dallas Cowboys. The deal secures him through 2028 and positions him as one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in NFL history. He is considered a top-tier talent and a cornerstone of the franchise.

Legit.ng recently published an article on Rickie Fowler's net worth. Rickie is among the four golf players to shoot 62 in a major championship, which he achieved at the 2023 US Open. His net worth is worth millions following his TGL beef and EY partnership.

At the beginning of the 2018 season, Rickie joined the ranks of only 27 golfers in PGA history to surpass $30 million in Tour earnings. Learn more about his early life, career journey, and net worth in the full biography.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi has been a content writer at Legit since September 2021. He has gained valuable experience working on various projects, such as celebrity biographies, lifestyle, news and many more. Isaac won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. He earned a Bsc. of Science in Information Technology in 2017 from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University in 2021. In 2023, Isaac finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, he completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com

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