10 NFL quarterbacks feeling the most pressure in 2020

1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

This past season, one of the biggest talking points was “when will Dak Prescott get paid? And, how much will he get?”. It felt like figures were thrown out every week, and that Prescott and his potential deal never left the headlines throughout the season.

Well, here we are, and Prescott still does not have a new, long-term deal. Instead, he just signed the exclusive franchise tender that pays him a reported $31.4 million this year. In a game of leverage, he appears to have the upper hand on the Cowboys after a stall out in contract negotiations.

Now, Prescott does not sound like he has any ill-feelings about playing under the tender. However, he must feel slighted after Jerry Jones took care of some other non-pressing extensions recently, such as paying Jaylon Smith. Jones shelling out for Ezekiel Elliott before taking care of his quarterback can also look insulting, but that makes more sense than paying a linebacker ahead of Prescott.

It is hard to imagine Prescott and the team not agreeing in the future. But, he now faces more pressure than any other signal-caller in the NFL. Essentially, what Jones is saying is “go out and show me you deserve to be paid”.

Prescott had the best year of his career in 2019 with career-highs of 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

The former fourth-round draft pick not only has to prove he is worth the new deal, but he also has the immense pressure to win, and he still finds that he must justify he is one of the top gunslingers in the league for those who simply will not relent and give him his due.

The Cowboys are one of the favorites out of the NFC, which provides Prescott with a massive platform to prove his worth in 2020. Prescott has a lot on his plate this season.