Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Dak Prescott vs. Carson Wentz used to be a lively debate. Prescott’s latest deal just makes it a shining example of Philadelphia’s costly failure.
Eagles fans have plenty of reasons to be upset about Dak Prescott’s new contract with the Cowboys. The obvious negative for Philadelphia is that they’ll be forced to play against the talented signal-caller in their own division for years to come. The more subtle jab to the psyche of Eagles fans is that Prescott will count less against Dallas’ salary cap than Carson Wentz will for Philadelphia in 2021.
Prescott’s new deal in Dallas amounts to a four-year, $160 million extension that will count $22.2 million against the Cowboys’ cap next year. In contrast, even after sending Wentz to Indianapolis the Colts still have to absorb just under $34 million in dead cap from their former starting quarterback’s deal in 201.
The idea that Wentz’s deal amounts to a financial disaster for the Eagles is nothing new. Contrasting it with the relative immediate value Dallas is getting from Prescott only highlights just how problematic the quarterback situation is for Philadelphia.
The only reasonable upside for the Eagles is that they might have a cheaper starting quarterback on their hands now. If Jalen Hurts does prove he can be the guy in Philadelphia, his rookie contract will buy the franchise the salary cap space it needs to surround him with talent in future seasons. That won’t excuse the Wentz error, but it would help the Eagles recover from it in a reasonable fashion.
If Hurts doesn’t work out, the Eagles could be figuratively paying for Wentz for years to come. Securing a new starting quarterback via free agency won’t be cheap for Philadelphia. It’s possible they’ll need to follow up the fortune they paid to Wentz by overpaying for a veteran on the open market if Hurts can’t handle the job.
Add it all up and Cowboys fans can feel comfortable about their quarterback supremacy over the Eagles at the moment. Of course, things can change quickly in the modern NFL. Dallas fans might want to needle their Philadelphia counterparts quickly to make sure they take advantage of current circumstances.