DALLAS — Whether the team wins or loses, there is one very good thing about being a Dallas Cowboy: If you're a top player at your position, your salary will only go up.
Such is life in the NFL, where skyrocketing revenue and television deals -- and an ever-increasing salary cap -- have led to some truly jaw-dropping contract values in recent years.
We saw it again on Monday, when news broke that star receiver CeeDee Lamb agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in team history.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is in line to fetch another nine-figure deal, likely north of $200 million, whether that's from the Cowboys or another team willing to pay for a quarterback (and plenty of teams fall into that boat).
If you can believe it, Prescott's current salary of $40 million is a certified bargain in today's NFL. To give you a sense of just how rapidly salaries have increased in recent years, the Cowboys' previous franchise quarterback, Tony Romo, was making around $18 million a year on his last deal.
How's this for another comparison? Lamb, the current No. 88 Cowboys star, will bring home $34 million a year on his new deal. Michael Irvin, the Cowboys' No. 88 star of the 90s, brought home around $22 million -- for his whole career.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the biggest contracts in Cowboys history. One note here: These are by total value, not yearly figures or guaranteed money. Also, these numbers are via the always-helpful Spotrac, which tracks player salaries and payroll data.
Biggest contracts in Dallas Cowboys history
1. Dak Prescott - $160 million, 4 years (2021-2024)
2. CeeDee Lamb - $136 million, 4 years (2024-2029)
3. Tony Romo - $108 million, 6 years (2013-2019)
4. Demarcus Lawrence - $105 million, 5 years (2019-2023)
5. Amari Cooper - $100 million, 5 years (2020-2024)
6. Tyron Smith - $97.6 million, 8 years (2016-2023)
7. Trevon Diggs - $97 million, 5 years (2023-2028)
8. Ezekiel Elliott - $90 million, 6 years (2019-2026)
9. Zack Martin - $84 million, 6 years (2018-2024)
10. Terence Steele - $82.5 million, 5 years (2023-2028)
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