Ripple Effects of Jared Goff Contract on Dak Prescott, More NFL QB Extension Talks
Jared Goff’s redemption arc with the Detroit Lions is complete. Three years after the Los Angeles Rams traded him as part of the package to land Matthew Stafford, Goff has established himself as Detroit’s long-term answer at quarterback.
On Monday, Goff and the Lions agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract extension that includes $170 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The extension ensures that Goff, who will turn 30 in October, will be leading the Lions for the foreseeable future.
It could also have a significant impact on the evolving quarterback market.
Goff didn’t supplant Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals as the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual value, but he now ranks second at $53 million per season. That’ll be important for quarterbacks seeking a new deal—including Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love—but not necessarily looking to top the market.
Thanks to Goff, the price point for a high-end starter just went up. Let’s examine what that means for the quarterbacks and teams looking to work out new deals in the near future.
Cowboys May Have to Scramble to Extend Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott told reporters in mid-April that he doesn’t “necessarily” want to be the league’s highest-paid quarterback. That was probably a relief for the Dallas Cowboys, who are already set to pay a $55.5 million cap hit for the final year of his current deal.
However, thanks to Goff, the bar is now set at $53 million annually for a deal that doesn’t quite top the market. (Joe Burrow’s deal is worth $55 million annually.)
One can assume that Prescott will want to at least top Goff, if not Burrow.
While Goff has been a stabilizing presence for the Lions, Prescott was the MVP runner-up this past season. He’s only a year older than Goff, and it’s fair to believe that the next-man-up nature of quarterback contracts should apply to Prescott.
The Cowboys’ options now include extending Prescott or potentially losing him in 2025 free agency. His contract includes a no-tag and no-trade clause, so they aren’t allowed to franchise-tag him next spring.
Prescott would have no reason to consider giving the Cowboys a hometown discount in free agency. They should be angling to get a deal done now—before the next big quarterback contract comes through—unless they’re willing to start over at the game’s most important position next year.
An extension theoretically could also lower Prescott’s 2024 cap hit and give Dallas the flexibility needed to extend players like star edge-rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. However, the Cowboys will have to get a deal done quickly before another quarterback signs.
Whichever signal-caller inks their new deal next will likely top Goff’s annual rate. If that isn’t Prescott, it could still push Prescott’s dollar value to the top of the market, regardless of whether he “necessarily” wants it to.
