CLEVELAND (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys gave Dak Prescott every little thing he needed. He intends to pay them again in full.

Hours earlier than the season opened, Prescott agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Cowboys, making the quarterback the NFL’s highest paid participant whereas giving him an opportunity to win a Tremendous Bowl for a crew he loves.

“I needed to be a Cowboy,” he stated. “I needed to remain a Cowboy and it received achieved.”

Prescott is the primary in league historical past to common $60 million per season, an individual with data of the negotiations advised The Related Press on Sunday. The individual spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of the deal hasn’t been introduced.

The runner-up in NFL MVP voting was coming into the ultimate yr of a $160 million, four-year contract that was a franchise document earlier than this deal. It consists of $231 million assured, the individual stated, $1 million greater than the document totally assured deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns two years in the past.

“I had an obligation to the league and to the opposite quarterbacks,” he stated. “It is as a result of I used to be up (due) and the following man, I anticipate to beat me.”

Prescott was in his Cleveland resort room on the point of depart for Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Browns when his agent advised him the deal was full.

He then went out and threw one landing move whereas main the Cowboys to a straightforward 33-17 win of their season opener.

There had been hypothesis for weeks about whether or not the edges may attain an settlement. Prescott was coming into his closing yr beneath contract and had hoped for a definitive reply that lastly got here.

“In any negotiation, one facet needs one thing and the opposite facet needs one thing else,” he stated. “You have to meet within the center. I am simply glad it is achieved and it really works for everybody.”

Prescott stated he spoke with proprietor and basic supervisor Jerry Jones on Saturday and was assured the Cowboys have been keen to finalize a deal.

“I do know that these numbers are past something that I may have ever imagined,” Jones advised reporters about an hour earlier than kickoff.

Prescott has led the Cowboys to the playoffs the previous three seasons and 5 instances in his first eight years. However Dallas is on the lookout for a postseason breakthrough that hasn’t occurred because the final of the franchise’s 5 Tremendous Bowl titles to cap the 1995 season.

The 31-year-old stated repeatedly he needed to stick with Dallas and be the QB to get the membership previous the divisional spherical for the primary time in 29 years. Prescott now will get at the least a number of extra possibilities.

“It is about me holding up my finish of the deal,” he stated.

“This was the factor to do for what we’re right here for and that’s to win a championship,” Jones stated. “I gave every little thing I ever had or hoped to need to get an opportunity to be part of the Cowboys. And it is past my fondest desires the place we stand as we speak.”

The take care of Prescott comes lower than two weeks after Dallas made All-Professional receiver CeeDee Lamb the second-highest paid participant at his place with a $136 million, four-year contract.

Prescott was a fourth-round select of Mississippi State in 2016 when Tony Romo was coming into his tenth full season because the starter.

Romo injured his again in a preseason sport, which led to Prescott ranging from Week 1 of his rookie season after backup Kellen Moore additionally was injured earlier than the opener.

After dropping to the New York Giants, Prescott led an 11-game profitable streak that was a franchise document in a single season.

Prescott edged teammate Ezekiel Elliott, his operating again, for 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the 12 months honors as they led the Cowboys to the highest seed within the NFC earlier than dropping their playoff debut to Aaron Rodgers and the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

The primary playoff victory with Prescott got here two years later in opposition to Seattle earlier than a divisional loss on the Los Angeles Rams.

The primary of three straight 12-win playoff seasons in 2021 ended with a wild-card loss to San Francisco at dwelling.

Prescott performed among the finest video games of his profession a yr later in a wild-card victory at Tampa Bay that was Tom Brady’s final sport. One other loss to the 49ers, this time in San Francisco, adopted.

Hopes for a deep Dallas playoff run have been their highest beneath Prescott final season when the Cowboys surged to the NFC’s No. 2 seed late and have been in place to get previous the divisional spherical at dwelling.

Dallas did not even get to that sport, with Prescott’s pick-6 a part of a first-half meltdown for the crew in a shocking 48-32 wild-card loss to Jordan Love and the Packers.

Arguably essentially the most disappointing loss within the 34 years since Jones purchased the crew clouded a terrific common season for Prescott, who led the NFL with a career-high 36 landing passes in opposition to 9 interceptions and threw for 4,516 yards.

Prescott was already climbing the profession QB charts for the Cowboys and now could have an opportunity to move Romo and a pair of Professional Soccer Corridor of Famers, and a number of Tremendous Bowl winners, in Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach.

All three of his predecessors are nonetheless forward of Prescott in profession wins, with Prescott now 4 shy of Romo’s 78 in third. Prescott is second in TDs, 44 behind Romo, and third in yards behind Romo and Aikman.

Prescott is the membership’s profession chief with a 67% completion share. He has 29,638 yards passing and 203 touchdowns.

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AP Professional Soccer Writers Schuyler Dixon and Rob Maaddi contributed.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Tom Withers, The Related Press