Dak Prescott Deal Shifts Future Odds & Hints at Major NFL TV Deal
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Dak Prescott has just received one of the largest contracts in NFL and American sports history. Prescott got a 4-year contract that could be worth up to $164 million, with $126 million guaranteed. This averages to $41 million a year, with $75 million being earned in the first season and an insane $66 million signing bonus.
The Cowboys have avoided giving the franchise tag as well as having to possibly address the QB position in the draft or free agency. This has massively changed the lens through which the oddsmakers see the Cowboys.
However, another big story is the fact that this monstrous contract may be off the back of promising TV negotiations between the NFL and the major TV providers. A lucrative monstrous contract will not only bring in revenue but raise the cap over the coming years.
Dallas Cowboys Odds
Super Bowl Odds: +2,800
NFC Odds: +1,300
NFC East Odds: +100
The Cowboys got a small uptick for all of their team futures odds for 2021. While it was widely believed that Prescott would be a Cowboy one-way or another, this contract actually has a smaller cap hit for 2021 than a franchise tag. Therefore, not only do oddsmakers know that the Cowboys will have their QB, but they have some more room to improve the team.
The combination of these two means that the Cowboys are the favorites in the NFC East by a wide margin. The next closest team is Washington with +350, who are the definition of a QB away from being a contender.
The Cowboys are 7th in NFC title odds and 13th for Super Bowl odds. Oddsmakers have the Cowboys right in the middle of the pack. Though, you must keep in mind a lot of this has to do with the Cowboys having an easy division and a clear path to the playoffs.
NFL TV Deal
Adam Schefter recently tweeted out that a league source believes this deal is tipping off an “extraordinary TV deal.” If true, this would be massive for the NFL and NFL betting. A new TV deal was always going to come with the NFL being the #1 reason people still own cable or satellite TV packages, but the amount of the deal was never really hinted at.
A new TV deal is going to come with more revenue, a higher salary cap, and simply more money flowing within the NFL. If this rumor is true, then expect the NFL to have an explosion of large contracts over the next few years.
You may also see more and more players restructuring contracts and pushing the cap hit down the road. This year’s cap is severely hindered by COVID; however, between the TV deal and the COVID recovery, it seems that we are in for an unprecedented cap raise in 2022 and 2023.
On top of this, if this deal also includes more streaming options and more accessible ways to watch, it could be a big plus for the NFL betting market as well. The NFL seems to be on a meteoric rise between fantasy, betting, and the general talent in the league. The NFL is only growing every year.
