Even after his 2020 season ended in Week 5 with a gruesome broken ankle, Dak Prescott had tremendous leverage in his negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys. 

On Monday, he used it to break the record for most guaranteed money ever in an NFL contract. The precedent-setting deal could now dictate the future of how the league pays its stars. 

Prescott’s four-year, $160 million contract extension ends a years-long standoff between America’s Team and its franchise quarterback.

• The contract includes a $66 million signing bonus, which means that Prescott will make a single-season record $75 million in 2021.
• $126 million is guaranteed at signing — the most ever in NFL history.
• He will be in line for a new deal at age 31 when the contract expires in 2024.

Players must often choose between long-term security and maximizing their earning power, if they can have either. Prescott — a virtually irreplaceable talent at quarterback — gets both. The Cowboys painted themselves into a corner by not extending Prescott sooner, amplifying his negotiating power, compounded by their 4-7 record after losing him.

The cost of employing a healthy Prescott may be cushioned by a new influx of cash to the NFL. As DEC Management pointed out, billionaire owner Jerry Jones likely knows how much money the league has coming in from its latest round of TV contracts.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is sure to have Prescott’s deal in mind as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta sought to deflect any comparison between the two young star quarterbacks on Tuesday: “Every negotiation is different. Every player is different. Every GM is different.”

Four-time NFL champion Rob Gronkowski is launching his own set of NFTs through a partnership with OpenSea, the largest marketplace for user-owned digital goods. 

Gronkowski will become the first pro athlete to release his own set of digital trading cards. Each one features highlights from his four Super Bowl wins.

“I see what’s going on, and it’s just exploding,” Gronkowski told CNBC. “I wanted my fans that are living in the digital world to be able to get a piece of this action.”

The new venture comes as digital sports collectibles continue to boom. In the past 30 days, NBA Top Shot has seen over $269 million funneled through its marketplaces.

The NFL is considering an NFT-based product, and soccer leagues around the world are partnering with Sorare, “a digital experience where football fans collect, trade, and connect with the beautiful game in a whole new way,” as envisioned by co-founder and CEO Nicolas Julia. 

But NFTs still have room for growth in terms of representation.

“I’ve invested big in women’s sports, but the rise of NFTs and trading card boom is going to be HUGE for women’s sports,” tweeted Alexis Ohanian, Sorare investor, Reddit co-founder, and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams.

One of the world’s biggest hospitality companies is turning to fitness. Kerzner International Ltd announced plans to open a fitness-focused resort — SIRO — in 2023. 

The parent company of One&Only and Atlantis Resorts wants to expand SIRO resorts globally, offering an array of group fitness classes and more for guests and locals. Its first location in Montenegro will offer a rock-climbing facility, access to sailing routes, and a crew club.

“Within hospitality today, the approach to fitness is minimal,” said Kerzner CEO Philippe Zuber. “Hotels have gyms because guests request it, but nothing has been really done to respond to what they really want. That’s where we are challenging the norm, and where we believe we have something really unique.” 

SIRO’s advisory council — which will comprise around six athletes who travel to each location — includes British swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Adam Peaty. “If someone is struggling for motivation, I can give them an input of how I do it,” said Peaty.

SIRO will join a market that has only a handful of similar destinations, including Equinox in New York City, the Shilla in Seoul, the Fitler Club in Philadelphia, and the Intercontinental’s brand Even.

Even as the pandemic continues to affect industries worldwide, Research and Markets valued the wellness tourism industry at $735.8 billion in November and projected it would rise to $1.2 trillion by 2027.