Cowboys: Dak Prescott shows he's a class act talking Jalen Hurts' contract
On the field, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott might not stand Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. When those helmets and the shoulder pads are strapped on, they're supposed to be bitter rivals. But off the field, as players of one of the most punishing sports out there, they're happy about knowing each other got paid. […]
On the field, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott might not stand Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. When those helmets and the shoulder pads are strapped on, they're supposed to be bitter rivals.
But off the field, as players of one of the most punishing sports out there, they're happy about knowing each other got paid. After all, they each know exactly what it takes. Recently, Hurts signed a $255 million contract extension that should keep him in Philly through 2028.
Among many other topics, Dak Prescott talked about it with ESPN's Adam Schefter on the latter's podcast. When asked about the news, Dak showed nothing but class.
"Congratulations, I'm proud of him," Prescott told Schefter. "I hosted Jalen on a visit way back in my Mississippi State years ago and I'm a fan of the guy and the way he plays the game."
"Not a fan of his team and when they have success necessarily, but a fan of him in the way that he approaches it," said Prescott, spoken like a true member of the Cowboys.
A fourth-round pick himself, Prescott might relate to Hurts on more than one level nowadays. The former Alabama quarterback has been "counted out" several times in his career. That's the reason why he transferred to Oklahoma after being benched in the College Football Playoffs, where he eventually was the runner-up to the Heisman Trophy that now belongs to Joe Burrow.
Later, he'd drop to the second round because of the "running QB" label. Even a year before his Super Bowl trip, many counted him out after the Eagles received a beat down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021-2022 NFL playoffs.
"And (Hurts is) just somebody that was counted out early because of his playstyle and just has had success," added Dak. "Proud of him and he deserves every bit of it."
The Cowboys quarterback also understands what it means for him moving forward. Not long ago, he received a contract worth $40 million per year. If he reaches a contract extension this offseason, he could be looking at $50 million (or more) per season himself.
It's the way the NFL's quarterback market goes nowadays. The front office has publicly indicated they wish to get that done this offseason before Prescott ends up counting $60 million toward the cap in 2024.
