What Dak Prescott's contract extension means for Brock Purdy and the 49ers

Dak Prescott just became the highest-paid player in NFL history. In a year, Brock Purdy could surpass him.

The Cowboys recently gave Prescott a four-year, $240 million contract extension, with $231 million guaranteed and an $80 million signing bonus. That means Prescott will make an average of $60 million per season, all for a quarterback whose record in the playoffs is just 2-5.

Consider that Patrick Mahomes averages $45 million per season, so the quarterback market has exploded, and Purdy will most likely be the next quarterback to benefit.

Prescott is a good quarterback — he finished second in MVP voting last season and was a second-team All Pro — but he's never made it past the divisional round of the playoffs, meaning his resume is flawed.

Unlike Purdy, who finished fourth in MVP voting last season and played in two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl in two seasons as a starting quarterback. So his resume is better than Prescott's, even though Purdy hasn't been playing for long.

If the 49ers think they can get Purdy to sign an extension worth less than $50 million per season, they are fooling themselves. The market is clearly defined. They can offer Purdy what he is worth, which is no less than $60 million per season, or they can trade him away. And I highly doubt they will trade him away.

Unless he gets seriously injured or the season goes surprisingly badly, Purdy is likely to be the highest-paid player in the NFL for the next few months.