Video: Cam Newton Ranks Cowboys' Dak Prescott over Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, More
July 5, 2024
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton has plenty of opinions about current quarterbacks and isn't afraid to make them known.
On the latest episode of his 4th & 1 podcast (starts at 1:40:50 mark), Newton said he would take Dak Prescott over Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray and Trevor Lawrence.
The subject came up as Prescott is entering the final season of his current contract with the Dallas Cowboys and is seeking a new deal.
Newton and his co-host were running down the list of highest-paid quarterbacks in the league to determine where Prescott should slot in. Hurts, Herbert, Cousins and Lawrence have all signed new contracts within the past 15 months. Murray signed his five-year, $230.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals in July 2022.
Even though Prescott has been criticized for his lack of playoff success, Newton pointed out some of those other quarterbacks are among the highest-paid in the NFL and haven't fared much better than the Cowboys star.
Newton's argument does lose some of its potency considering he said he would take Deshaun Watson over Prescott. Watson's 43.3 QBR last season ranked 27th out of 38 quarterbacks who started and finished at least four games. That came after he posted a career-low 40.4 QBR in six starts during the 2022 campaign.
It seems almost certain that Prescott will be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks—if not the top-paid—when he signs his next deal. The 30-year-old has tremendous leverage over the Cowboys by virtue of having a no-tag clause in his current deal, allowing him to hit true free agency next offseason if it gets to that point.
Prescott is coming off arguably the best season of his career in 2023. He threw for 4,516 yards and an NFL-high 36 touchdowns in 17 starts to finish second in MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson.
The Cowboys are 2-5 in seven playoff games started by Prescott. He has thrown for 1,962 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the postseason. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown two interceptions in each of his last two playoff games, both losses.