While Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott might not be a truly elite signal-caller, he’s set to be the best one to hit the open market since Tom Brady did it in 2020. He’s coming off a season with 4,516 passing yards, a league-high 36 touchdown passes and a career-best 105.9 quarterback rating.

Theoretically, the Cowboys could sign Prescott to an extension anywhere between now and next spring, though they don’t appear to be in any rush.

“We just don’t need to get it done before the season,” franchise owner Jerry Jones said, per Clarence Hill of DLLS.

What the Cowboys can’t do is franchise-tag Prescott in the offseason. His current contract forbids it. That’s why if Dallas isn’t willing to make Prescott the league’s highest-paid quarterback, he’s very likely to hit the market.

Whether or not Prescott is actually deserving of a deal that surpasses those of Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love ($55 million annually each), he’s probably going to get it. Prescott is a high-level quarterback in a league that doesn’t even have enough average ones, and multiple teams will be interested.

Spotrac puts Prescott’s projected market value at $55.1 million annually. However, the next-man-up nature of contracts and the supply-and-demand nature of free agency could have him earning much more than that with another strong season.

Projected Contract Value: Four Years, $209 Million