CLEVELAND – Dak Prescott was in his room at the Cleveland Marriott at Key Tower when the Dallas Cowboys quarterback got the call that he would become the highest-paid player in NFL history.

He was with Ezekiel Elliott, his teammate and best friend, and his physical therapist Luke Miller, preparing his body for the season’s opening game against the Cleveland Browns when his agent, Todd France, told him the news via FaceTime: a four-year contract extension worth $240 million, with $231 million guaranteed.

“A little emotional call,” Prescott said.

From there, he called his girlfriend Sarah Jane Ramos and said hello to his young daughter MJ. He also made calls to his marketing team, his financial advisors and his father. He also sent a series of text messages.

Less than an hour later, he was on the team bus to Huntington Bank Field and later led the Cowboys to a 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“It’s a good fit for everyone and I understand where that cap is going. I’m just happy to have it behind us and I can focus on winning games,” Prescott said.

By the time Prescott completes the contract in 2028, he could potentially earn more than $400 million over the course of his career.

However, he said the Super Bowl was the most important thing.

“That’s my only motivation,” Prescott said. “Keeping up my end of the bargain. Just delivering. That’s my motivation. Right now it’s about celebrating this win tonight. A huge win with these guys, I’m excited to fly back with them, but tomorrow I’m turning the page, going to the Saints and taking it one game at a time. That’s the most important thing for me. Not the money. It’s about keeping up my end of the bargain. And that’s what I want to do here.”

In 1989, owner and general manager Jerry Jones paid $140 million to buy the Cowboys and Texas Stadium. He won three Super Bowls in his first five years as owner, but the Cowboys’ losing streak had now lasted 28 years.

“I know these numbers are beyond anything I could have ever imagined,” Jones said of the guaranteed money in Prescott’s deal.

If Prescott had finished the season without a contract, the Cowboys would have a salary cap of $40 million in 2025 and would have had no franchise quarterback. Ultimately, they didn’t want to take that risk.

“That’s what we needed to do to accomplish what we’re here to do — which is to win a championship,” Jones said. “I know our fans know that. I’m surprised anyone would think that anything less — they may not agree with the decision — but anything less than commitment is just not the case with me.”

“I gave everything I ever had or hoped to have for the chance to be a part of the Cowboys. And where we are today is beyond my wildest dreams.”

Prescott isn’t capable of doing that either. A fourth-round pick in 2016, Prescott could become the franchise’s all-time leader in wins, passing yards, touchdown passes, attempts and completions.

Prescott, 31, finished last season with 4,516 passing yards and a league-leading 36 touchdown passes. The three-time Pro Bowler is the third-best passer in Cowboys history, behind only Tony Romo and Troy Aikman, and his 203 career touchdown passes put him behind only Romo (248) on the franchise’s all-time list.

Prescott has led the Cowboys to the postseason five times in his career (2016, 2018, 2021-23), but they have never advanced past the divisional round. In 2016, the Cowboys had home-court advantage and lost in the divisional round to the Green Bay Packers.

The pressure is on for the Cowboys quarterback, and even more pressure now comes from being the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback at an average of $5 million. Green Bay’s Jordan Love, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence all make $55 million per season.

“I put the most pressure on myself,” said Prescott, who completed 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. “It’s as simple as that. I’m not happy with my … performance today and that motivates me. That drives me. You try – and I say try – you try to be disappointed in the locker room about it, but you know it’s a road win that’s good for the team and then your teammates tell you it was a heck of a day for you.

“The biggest pressure I put on myself. No one is a bigger critic than myself, and I expect great things from myself with my standards, my expectations, and the same goes for this team.”

“So there is no additional pressure.”