Dak Prescott agrees four-year deal worth $160m with Dallas Cowboys; quarterback will have no-trade clause and earn $126m guaranteed; New York Jets place franchise tag on safety Marcus Maye, while Washington tag guard Brandon Scherff
Tuesday 9 March 2021 07:50, UK
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have finally agreed to a long-term deal, with the quarterback set to sign a four-year contract worth $160m, according to multiple reports in the US.
Prescott has $126m guaranteed and will earn an average of $42m per season over the first three years. The 27-year-old will also receive a $66m signing bonus and could see his deal rise to $164m overall with incentives.
Prescott - who has a no-trade clause as part of his new contract - had been searching for a long-term deal with the Cowboys for several seasons and played under the franchise tag in 2020.
Dallas drafted him out of Mississippi State in the fourth round in 2016, with the plan being for Prescott to back-up long-term No 1 quarterback Tony Romo.
However, with Romo injured ahead of the 2016 season, Prescott was named the starter and has held the job ever since.
He has passed for 17,634 yards with 106 touchdowns and 40 interceptions over five seasons with the Cowboys and 69 games (all starts) and was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season and 2018.
Prescott started the 2020 season in brilliant form but suffered a serious ankle injury against the New York Giants in Week 5 which ruled him out of the rest of the campaign.
Without Prescott, the Cowboys went 6-10, missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
Marcus Maye has become the first player in five years to be franchise tagged by the New York Jets.
The safety will receive around $10.5m guaranteed in 2021 if he and the team cannot agree to a long-term deal.
Maye's agent Erik Burkhardt has publicly expressed his disappointment with the Jets for not signing his client to a long-term deal.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas responded, saying: "Look, this is part of the business, part of negotiating. I don't see this as affecting our ability to get something done with Marcus that's beneficial for both him and the team."
Maye stepped up to become the leader of the Jets secondary in 2020 following fellow safety Jamal Adams' trade to the Seattle Seahawks.
He recorded two interceptions, two sacks, forced two fumbles, and recovered one fumble while starting all 16 games for New York.
In four NFL seasons, all with the Jets, Maye has appeared in 54 games (all starts) and logged six interceptions, 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 22 passes defensed.
Washington have announced they are placing the franchise tag on Brandon Scherff for the second consecutive season.
Scherff, a four-time Pro Bowler, will make $18.04m in 2021, unless he and the side agree to a long-term extension by July 15.
The guard made $15.03m playing under the franchise tag in 2020.
Scherff played in 13 games last season before ending the campaign on injured reserve after suffering an MCL sprain.
He has played in 78 games (all starts) over his six seasons with Washington, who drafted him fifth overall out of Iowa in 2015.
