{"id":22248,"date":"2021-09-03T19:06:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T00:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=22248"},"modified":"2021-09-03T19:06:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T00:06:43","slug":"cowboys-qb-dak-prescott-4th-highest-paid-athlete-in-the-world-forbes-forbes-reveals-dak-prescott-as-nfls-highest-paid-player-annually-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=22248","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys QB Dak Prescott 4th Highest-Paid Athlete in the World: Forbes, Forbes reveals Dak Prescott as NFL\u2019s highest-paid player annually, ever"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Highest-Paid NFL Players 2021: Two Star Quarterbacks Post Records On And Off The Field<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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With the regular season set to kick off Thursday, a record signing bonus and hefty endorsement deals have helped football\u2019s top stars cash in mightily despite a free-agency clamp-down.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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D<\/abbr>ak Prescott entered the off-season with no active contract and a broken ankle that had ended his 2020 season in Week 5. But the star quarterback had enough leverage remaining after two years of intense negotiations that he managed to come to a four-year, $160 million agreement with the Dallas Cowboys in March, with $126 million guaranteed. That included an upfront payment of $66 million\u2014the largest signing bonus in NFL history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The deal gives the 28-year-old the top spot in the 2021 Forbes<\/em> ranking of the highest-paid NFL players, one notch ahead of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady. Prescott\u2019s total of $87 million in pretax earnings also includes $12 million from endorsements.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That is impressive\u2014one of the best sponsor numbers in the NFL\u2014but Brady blows right past him with $45 million off the field, including the proceeds from a massive partnership with cryptocurrency exchange FTX that he struck in June and his appearances in a couple of Subway commercials. Those new deals, plus bonuses triggered by his 2020 exploits for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, help push the 44-year-old quarterback past the NFL off-the-field record of $31 million he established on Forbes\u2019<\/em> list of the world\u2019s highest-paid athletes<\/a> just four months ago, installing him as an emphatic No. 2 on the NFL earnings list with $72.5 million, including his playing contract.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In all, the NFL\u2019s ten highest-paid players are set to make $418 million in 2021, according to Forbes\u2019<\/em> calculations, an increase of 9% from last year despite a dip in the salary cap that has dented salaries around the league. The top ten will collect $306.6 million in salary and bonus in 2021, a 5% drop from last year and the lowest on-the-field figure since 2017, but offset that with $111 million from their off-the-field ventures, including endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, as well as businesses they operate. That represents an 84% increase from 2020\u2019s top ten, mostly thanks to Brady, and demolishes the previous high-water mark of $67 million from 2016.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Quarterbacks dominate once again, taking seven of the ten spots in the ranking, including Brady\u2019s Super Bowl LV rival Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers\u2019 Aaron Rodgers, who land at Nos. 3 and 4 with $44.8 million and $33.4 million, respectively. A non-quarterback\u2014San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams\u2014rounds out the top five with $33.3 million.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in April, comes in at No. 8 with $30.8 million, becoming the first rookie to rank among the top ten since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement drastically reduced contracts for the sport\u2019s top draft picks. Lawrence, who received a $24.1 million signing bonus from the Jacksonville Jaguars, is adding $6 million off the field, including his own endorsement deal with FTX and partnerships with brands like Adidas, Gatorade and Fanatics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The world\u2019s most lucrative sports league is riding the momentum of monster new media rights and betting deals, but NFL players are not yet sharing in the spoils. While the average team value is up 14% to a record $3.5 billion<\/a> this year, the decline in game-day revenue from ticket, concessions and merchandise sales amid the pandemic led the NFL to cut its salary cap for the first time in a decade, to $182.5 million for 2021, from $198.2 million last year. That has tempered spending by front offices left facing a payroll crunch after handing out a wave of huge contracts in recent years. This off-season, according to Spotrac<\/a>, the league\u2019s 32 teams committed a combined $4.6 billion in extensions and free-agent contracts (down 10% from 2020) with $2.5 billion in guaranteed money (down 11%).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still, for the league\u2019s superstars, sponsors are easing the pain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are the NFL\u2019s ten highest-paid players for 2021.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Dak Prescott\u2019s $66 million signing bonus from the Dallas Cowboys beat the $57.5 million mark for a single-payment bonus that Aaron Rodgers had set in 2018. The 28-year-old quarterback owns a significant stake in four Walk-On\u2019s restaurants in Texas and is up to $12 million in endorsements, including a major new deal with NFT platform Ethernity. A jump from Adidas to Jordan Brand in June also supplied a sizable raise.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Just a year or two ago, Tom Brady was making $12 million a year off the field. Now, after winning a seventh Super Bowl title in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and making his partnerships more of a focus, the 44-year-old quarterback is hauling in almost four times as much. Beyond his endorsements, which include Fanatics and Under Armour in addition to his huge new deal with FTX, Brady has the TB12 supplements line and a media company, 199 Productions, as well as an NFT platform, Autograph, that he launched this summer. He also reportedly picked up $3.4 million in playing-contract incentives for his performance in 2020 and the Bucs\u2019 championship (a number not reflected in his earnings for this list).<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Apr 28, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs number 10 pick Patrick Mahomes II poses for a photo with his mother Randi and father Pat during the press conference at Stram Theatre.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

After signing a ten-year, $450 million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs last year\u2014far and away the NFL\u2019s biggest contract ever\u2014Patrick Mahomes had the deal restructured this off-season to help his team create space under the new salary cap, with $21.7 million becoming a bonus for 2021. The quarterback, who turns 26 in two weeks, started ramping up his endorsements after winning Super Bowl LIV in February 2020 and counts Adidas, State Farm and Oakley among his partners. Mahomes, who added a small stake in MLB\u2019s Kansas City Royals last year, became a minority owner with MLS\u2019s Sporting Kansas City in July.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers is staying in Green Bay after all, emerging with a reworked contract<\/a> from an off-season of drama in which he expressed frustration with Packers management and stirred speculation that he might retire rather than return to the team. The 37-year-old quarterback is partnered with brands like Adidas, State Farm and Fanatics and is a cofounder of Online Sports Database, a website modeled after IMDb.com that launched in April and aims to offer athlete profiles including salary and endorsement information. Rodgers remained a fixture on TV screens through the NFL off-season, taking a turn as a Jeopardy!<\/em> guest host and playing in the July edition of The Match<\/em>, the exhibition golf event in which he and Bryson DeChambeau beat Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trent Williams, traded to San Francisco last year, signed a six-year, $138 million deal in March to stay with the 49ers. Of the contracts signed this year, only Dak Prescott did better with his signing bonus than Williams\u2019 $30.1 million. The 33-year-old offensive tackle is light on traditional endorsements but profits from a stable of apartment complexes and single-family homes he owns. He has also been active with NBA Top Shot, trading the NFT collectibles and buying a small stake in the marketplace\u2019s parent, Dapper Labs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Washington Football Team locked up Jonathan Allen, a 2017 first-round pick and budding star at defensive tackle, in July with a four-year, $72 million extension that included a $30 million signing bonus. The 26-year-old, who has small deals with sponsors like Anheuser-Busch and Ubisoft, was his team\u2019s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award last season, highlighting his work with homeless youth<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Russell Wilson will rake in $19 million in salary this season from the four-year, $140 million extension he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. The 32-year-old quarterback added three sponsors this summer: Fanatics, the memorabilia powerhouse; sports retailer Lids, with whom he will launch a hat line from his 3BRAND label; and children\u2019s entertainment company Spin Master, with whom he is releasing a toy football.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trevor Lawrence, this year\u2019s first overall draft pick, was seen as the most marketable NFL prospect in years after three exceptional seasons at Clemson that featured three College Football Playoff appearances and a runner-up finish for the Heisman Trophy. Despite landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars\u2014a small-market team with little track record of success\u2014the 21-year-old quarterback has had no problem piling up partnerships with at least ten brands, including Adidas, Gatorade and Fanatics. He\u2019s also become one of the major celebrity voices in the world of cryptocurrency, investing his signing bonus in crypto through Blockfolio, an app now rebranded under the FTX label.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Rams dealt Jared Goff to Detroit in March after a disappointing 2020, and he\u2019ll take over as the Lions\u2019 quarterback with a restructured contract paying him $5.7 million in salary and a $20 million bonus in 2021. The 26-year-old, who will be looking to return to his Pro Bowl form of 2017 and 2018, is partnered with brands like Banana Republic, Fanatics and Red Bull and uses his JG16 clothing line to raise money for charity, helping Warren Lane Elementary School in Inglewood, California, build a new library.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Giants slapped the franchise tag on Leonard Williams for the second straight year, but the sides finally agreed on a long-term contract in March, keeping him in New York on a three-year, $63 million deal with $45 million guaranteed, including a $22.5 million signing bonus. Since the Giants spent two mid-round draft picks to acquire the defensive lineman from the crosstown-rival Jets in 2019, Williams, now 27, has been perhaps their most effective pass-rusher, with 11.5 sacks last season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Methodology<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Forbes<\/em> ranking of the NFL\u2019s highest-paid players reflects on-field earnings, including 2021 base salaries and all bonuses (option, roster, signing and workout), paid during the calendar year and through the 2021 season. Incentives that are based on 2021 individual or team performance are not included. The off-field earnings estimates are determined through conversations with industry insiders and reflect cash from endorsements, licensing, appearances and memorabilia, as well as businesses operated by the players. Forbes<\/em> does not deduct for taxes or agents\u2019 fees.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dak Prescott<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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Dak Prescott<\/strong><\/caption>\n
\"Dak<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Prescott with the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> in 2017<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No. 4 \u2013 Dallas Cowboys<\/span><\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Position:<\/strong><\/th>\nQuarterback<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Personal information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Born:<\/strong><\/th>\nJuly 29, 1993 (age\u00a028)<\/span><\/strong>
\nSulphur, Louisiana<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Height:<\/strong><\/th>\n6\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in (1.88\u00a0m)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight:<\/strong><\/th>\n238\u00a0lb (108\u00a0kg)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career information<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
High school:<\/strong><\/th>\nHaughton<\/a> (Haughton, Louisiana<\/a>)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
College:<\/strong><\/th>\nMississippi State<\/a> (2012\u20132015)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NFL Draft:<\/strong><\/th>\n2016<\/a>\u00a0\/ Round:\u00a04\u00a0\/ Pick:\u00a0135<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career history<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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Roster status:<\/strong><\/th>\nActive<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Career highlights and awards<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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Career NFL statistics as of 2020<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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TD<\/a>\u2013INT<\/a>:<\/strong><\/th>\n106\u201340<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Passing yards:<\/strong><\/th>\n17,634<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Completion percentage:<\/strong><\/th>\n66.0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Passer rating<\/a>:<\/strong><\/th>\n97.3<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rushing yards:<\/strong><\/th>\n1,314<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rushing touchdowns:<\/strong><\/th>\n24<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Player stats at NFL.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0PFR<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Rayne Dakota Prescott<\/sup> (born July 29, 1993) is an American football<\/a> quarterback<\/a> for the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> of the National Football League<\/a> (NFL). He played college football<\/a> for the Mississippi State Bulldogs<\/a> and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Intended to serve as a backup in his rookie season, Prescott became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback after starter Tony Romo<\/a> was injured in the preseason. He earned recognition during the year for his on-field success, which included helping the Cowboys clinch the top seed in their conference. He set several rookie quarterback records, and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year<\/a> while also earning a Pro Bowl<\/a> selection. As of 2020, his career passer rating<\/a> of 97.3 ranks<\/a> among the top ten in NFL history.<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n

Records and honors<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n