Dan Orlovsky Says the Cowboys Should Pay Dak Prescott Big Money

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have decisions to make and things to discuss this offseason. Prescott is in line for a big-time contract extension and ESPN's Dan Orlovsky is warning the Cowboys against investing too much in their franchise quarterback.

Orlovsky was on Friday's episode of First Take pleading with Dallas not to give Prescott too much money. He argued that the 27-year-old is "good" but has never been "great" during his career, and if the Cowboys pay top quarterback money they'll never be able to surround him with enough talent to win.

Here's the segment:

There is a point to be made here but I think Orlovsky overstates it a bit. Prescott was pretty damn great in 2016 and 2019, and was on pace for a career year in 2020 before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 5. Is Prescott Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson? No, but he's certainly in the league's top tier.

However bad it may be for a team's salary cap situation, if it has a top eight quarterback, it has to pay him. And when that quarterback's contract is up, he gets whatever the market dictates is top quarterback money. That's how the NFL's system works. It's Prescott's turn to get paid and the Cowboys are going to have to open up the coffers to do so.

The alternative for Dallas is to restart the never-ending search for another franchise quarterback, which could take years. The Cowboys already have that guy and need to pay him accordingly.