Dak Prescott’s contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys have dominated the recent NFL headlines. The quarterback will be one of the league’s highest-paid players in the 2020 season, whether he signs a long-term extension or plays on the $31.4 million franchise tag.

Dallas has invested in the sport’s most important position in multiple ways this offseason. The Cowboys also signed Andy Dalton, making him one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL.

There are plenty of debates regarding where Prescott and Dalton rank among the league’s signal callers, but they are unquestionable two of the top quarterbacks in the division.

Carson Wentz and Prescott are the NFC East’s best quarterbacks, in some order. They’ve both thrown exactly 97 touchdowns passes since being drafted in 2016. Prescott has 36 interceptions compared to Wentz’s 35 picks.

Wentz has had a higher peak, nearly winning the 2017 MVP award before a torn ACL ended his season. He’s struggled staying on the field, while Prescott hasn’t missed a game in his four-year career. The Cowboys’ quarterback has a career 40-24 record with two trips to the divisional playoffs.

Prescott was second in the NFL last year with 4,902 yards. Dallas had the No.1 ranked offense.

The New York Giants and Washington Redskins are led by starting quarterbacks that were selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. Both Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins had up-and-down rookie campaigns, at best, and it’s unknown how they’ll perform in year No.2.

Until further notice, it’s safe to say that Dalton is currently better than both first-round picks.

Playing for the NFL’s worst team, Dalton only had 3,494 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 78.3 passer rating in 2019. He averaged 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the previous four years.

From 2011-2018, Dalton made three Pro Bowls and led the Cincinnati Bengals to five playoff appearances.

Jones showed plenty of potential as a rookie. He threw for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 87.7 passer rating. The No.6 overall pick also had a 3-9 record and led the league with 18 fumbles.

Haskins was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks last year. He threw for 1,365 yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 76.1 passer rating. The Redskins went 2-5 in his starts.

Haskins struggled so much that Kyle Allen has a chance to win the starting job in training camp. Alex Smith is still on the team, but he hasn’t played since 2018 because of a broken leg and it’s unknown if he’ll play in another NFL game.

Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after carrying the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter during the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
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