In mid-May, the Detroit Lions agreed to terms on a four-year, $212 million contract extension with with quarterback Jared Goff. Since then, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love have usurped him per year average with their new contracts, and Sunday morning's big news added another to that list.
According to multiple reports, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott have agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract extension. Prescott used his leverage to its fullest extent, just as he did when he last up for a contract, and he now stands atop the heap with a $60 million per year average.
Goff and Prescott were both drafted in 2016, Goff No. 1 overall by the Rams and Prescott of course in the fourth round by the Cowboys. That provides a convenient way to analyze their careers, though Goff didn't start from Day 1 as a rookie like Prescott did.
Dak Prescott deal further confirms Jared Goff deal as bargain for the Lions
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has stated a preference to get significant contract business done sooner as opposed to later, which he clearly showed this offseason with big new deals for Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and eventually Taylor Decker. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill may be next, soon. The strategy has been proven right by what the wide receiver market has done since St. Brown's deal in late-April.
Ultimately, again over the same number of seasons, there isn't a lot of difference between Goff and Prescott's numbers. Prescott does have some edge in overall postseason numbers. But it's not always about the numbers when it's win or go home in the playoffs.
Goff has started nine playoff games (5-4 record), including a Super Bowl and two NFC title games. Prescott has started seven postseason games, with a 2-5 record. Goff won the head-to-head playoff matchup, as the Rams' quarterback in the 2018 Divisional Round.
Prescott has never gotten past the Divisional Round, which given how much we've been beaten over the head with the last time Dallas reached the NFC title game (1995) is not a revelation.
Goff won as many playoff games last year as Prescott has in his whole career. Team context is important there of course, but otherwise pretty parallel career resumes has a difference come playoff time. The market for quarterbacks always rises though, with the next guy who gets a deal always equaling or usurping the last guy to get a deal in per-year average. Prescott was going to push toward $60 million per year once the Cowboys waited to get a deal done.
On the other hand, the Lions did not wait to get their deal done with Goff. It looks like more and more of a bargain with each new deal for a quarterback over the last 3-4 months.