Dak Prescott’s agent explains how he negotiated the QB’s record-setting contract
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott signed the richest deal in NFL history when he signed his four-year $240 million deal in September 2024.
His agent, Todd France, discussed the negotiations on the “Athletes First Family” podcast explained why he told the Mississippi State product to turn down $100 million.
France said he and the Cowboys disagreed on the number of years and other contract details.
“They wanted a five-year deal, we wanted a four-year deal, we thought the number of years was ridiculously important and they thought the same thing and they ultimately made a significant offer of guaranteed money, but you just can’t look at the guaranteed money in a vacuum. You have to look at all of the pieces,” said France, “Obviously the media is getting bits and pieces and making it out like Dak’s crazy and he’s being offered 100 million guaranteed and he’s this and he’s that and you know and ultimately you know I had to sit down with Dak and educate him on why it doesn’t make sense to do that deal.”
France understood what it meant to tell a fourth-round NFL Draft pick to turn down $100 million and said he went through every possible scenario with Prescott to explain how they would move forward as they continued negotiations.
“If you’re telling a guy to turn down $100 million. A lot can happen, either bad play, injuries, whatever. So we went through a brainstorm of every scenario that could possibly happen, and if it happened, what was our plan? And so he knew, including a significant injury, how that would impact another negotiation and he was he was comfortable with all that,” said France. “As a later round draft pick teams have a tendency to dangle money in front of a player and that they’ll just grab it because it’s more than they’ve ever seen. And that’s a strategy by a team, and I get that and some kids might go for that. Luckily for me, Dak put all his 100% trust and faith in what I was guiding him and telling him.”
A.J. Stevens, vice president of client strategy at Athletes First, said the team was fighting for a four-year deal because of the way the QB market in the NFL grows and the desire to get another market value contract.
France ultimately said Prescott understood his value and was willing to bet on himself and wait for the perfect deal, even if it meant taking risks, which was proven to be the correct choice when his record-setting contract was signed.
