The Dallas Cowboys took their time in getting Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb signed to contract extensions this offseason. The important thing for the organization is that they got the massive deals done for both players prior to the start of the season.
At the end of the day, Prescott is the highest-paid quarterback in football at $60 million per year while Lamb is the second-highest-paid wide receiver at $34 million per year. Negotiations were rough, as Lamb held out while Prescott went through training camp on the final year of his current deal.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones felt no love lost with his stars. The deals got done.
"I've never seen anybody get their feelings hurt enough that the money couldn't cure," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Tuesday. "When you have a significant decision, or you have a significant event in your life, when it gets in the crosshairs where the parties are in agreement.
"If your goal is to get a deal done, nail it right there. Do not fool around. And it started happening for us."
Prescott is the league's first $60 million player and makes the highest guaranteed salary in NFL history at $231 million. The Cowboys have executed this task with Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith in the past, but those teams made deep playoff runs and won championships.
While Prescott hasn't been past the divisional round, Jones has enough faith in him to deliver that championship to Dallas -- one that has eluded the Cowboys since the 1995 season. That contract was enough conviction in the eyes of Jones.
"I think when I look at what Dak is -- he's a leader, he plays the position of ultimate leadership in sports, in my opinion, as the quarterback," Jones said. "You can put a huge value on measures of success that don't reach a Super Bowl.
"I will say this, any time that we've ever made players the highest-paid player -- key players, such as Troy Aikman, the highest-paid player in the game -- we've won Super Bowls."
The Cowboys have put their faith in Prescott to deliver them a championship. Whether Prescott does or not will be determined, but the core of this team will be together for several years.
