Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wears a vintage Cowboys with the phrase “CHAMPIONS” above the team’s logo paying tribute to the team’s Super Bowl XXX victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996. as the team arrives for training camp on Monday, July 27, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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OXNARD, Calif. — The Super Bowl XXX T-shirt Dak Prescott wore when he arrived at Cowboys training camp wasn’t meant to set the tone for the 2026 season, but in some ways it has.
Prescott said the vintage tee had been sitting in his closet for a few years and that he’d thought about wearing it last year. He didn’t believe it was appropriate to wear it during the regular season.
“I looked at it and said, ‘Why in the hell haven’t I worn this?’” Prescott said.
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So wearing it as the team boarded a chartered flight to Southern California seemed like the right thing to do.
“Set the tone, I think the tone’s been set,” Prescott said after Thursday’s second day of training camp practice. “To say a T-shirt is going to do it, it would be, I knew you guys would like it. Didn’t know how many of the teammates would see it. It’s just the manifesting thing. When we want stuff in life a lot of times, but then you know when people start talking about it, you kinda hesitate. ‘Should I say that? They’re going to hold me to it.’”
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer watches players run on the field during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys tight ends Brevyn Spann-Ford (89) and Jake Ferguson toss balls back and forth during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys offensive assistant coach Will Grier talks with quarterback Dak Prescott (4) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys players stretch during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb catches a ball during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) high fives teammates during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott towles off during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer laughs with wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (88) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens catches a ball during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Drew Shelton works against linebacker Malachi Lawrence (57) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys running back Israel Abanikanda carries the ball during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive back Shavon Revel participates in a drill during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens catches a pass during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) runs down the sideline after a catch past defensive backs Markquese Bell (14) and Malik Hooker (24) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford catches a pass during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens sits on an exercise ball between drills during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Tyler Johnson hurdles an exercise ball tossed toward him after catching a pass during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive back Shavon Revel (28) breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (81) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III (10) leaps past defensive back Josh Butler (31) during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III (10) high fives defensive back Josh Butler during a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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A Dallas Cowboys looks for an autograph after a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive back Daron Bland signs autographs after a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Kenny Clark talks with reporters after a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Quinnen Williams signs autographs after a training camp practice on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
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The Cowboys have not only failed to reach the Super Bowl since the 1995 season, but the franchise has also missed the postseason the last two seasons. Prescott enters his 11th season trying to achieve something his predecessor, Tony Romo, couldn’t, and that’s reached a Super Bowl.
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“Well absolutely. Playing in this organization being in it 10 years right, going into Year 11 I’m not going to shy away from it, when you don’t have it, it sucks. When you don’t get to play for it, when you watching other teams play in the playoff, there’s nothing worse than that.”
RELATED: Now 33, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is venturing into mostly forbidden territory
Pickens feeling good
The decision by wide receiver George Pickens to sign his $27.2 million franchise tag and not conduct either a hold-in or holdout has been noticed by many in the organization. Pickens has even been prompt for team and individual meetings, something that was a problem last year.
“I’ve seen it, I’ve watched it, I’ve seen him take notes,” Dak Prescott said. “It’s impressive.”
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Pickens understands what this 2026 season means. While he’s without a long-term future, how he plays this season could dictate a large financial contract with the Cowboys or another team.
“I left it up to my agent,” Pickens said. “Even when we were nine, 10 months from training camp, I was always thinking about ball. I was already training.”
Pickens said he’s not the only player seeking a long-term contract. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown enters the final year of his rookie deal in addition to tight end Luke Schoonmaker.
Team co-owner Stephen Jones said defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is deserving of a contract extension as well. If that happens, it will be Williams’ third contract, since he got a highly paid second deal when he played for the Jets.
With Pickens’ contract status secure for this season, the focus is on the field, where he’s looked good in two training camp practices.
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“For me, just for a lot of guys, whether you know them or not or whether you know his number or not, I feel like some guys are in the same situation that I am,” he said. “For the collective, we’re doing pretty good, putting one foot forward.”
Overshown wants to average 10 tackles
In two NFL seasons, Overshown has averaged 6.2 tackles per game. Two knee surgeries have limited him to 19 games.
Now fully healthy and playing the middle linebacker position, Overshown is confident he can average 10 tackles a game.
The Cowboys haven’t officially given Overshown the middle linebacker spot, he’s been in a rotation with Curtis Robinson, Justin Barron and Shemar James at the position.
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After just two days of practices, Overshown has picked up the most reps with the first-team. He’s also spending quality time with defensive coordinator Christian Parker and linebackers coach Scott Symons after practices. After the first practice on Wednesday, Overshon and Symons were going over techniques.
Overshown said the communication part of playing middle linebacker is easy.
“I do a lot of extra meetings with Coach CP and Coach Scott,” he said. “When I come out on the field I’m comfortable, [and] able to relay the calls and what to expect from the offense easily to the defense. That’s what they’re going to be looking for me to do this year.”
READ MORE: Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown starts camp with confidence, comfort in middle linebacker spot
First-round pick impressions
Coach Brian Schottenheimer noted first-round picks Caleb Downs, the safety, and rush end Malachi Lawrence had a productive first day of practice.
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“I thought there was a play that Caleb got beat on in the spring. I showed it to the team where CeeDee [Lamb] got him on a little maneuver route in the slot and the same route came up [Wednesday] and Caleb loved it. And it was to the point that I made about Caleb, he doesn’t repeat mistakes. So that was great to see.
“And then with Malachi, again, I noticed him more [Wednesday] in setting the edge in the run game using his length than I did as a pass rusher. Obviously there’s a halo around the quarterback so they can’t get close anyway, but I did think he did a hell of a job of setting edges, using his length and kind of creating that knock back that limits running lanes for the offense.”
Downs has played different spots along the defense, from deep safety to slot corner, lining up opposite Lamb a few times and fielding punts.
READ MORE: Two days into camp, Cowboys coaches aren’t treating Caleb Downs like a normal rookie
Notable
— Safety P.J. Locke suffered a hyperextended left knee in Wednesday’s practice. He didn’t participate in Thursday’s session and is considered day-to-day. Locke attended practice wearing a sleeve on his leg.
— Prescott completed 14 of 17 passes with the first team. Sam Howell got second-team reps and went 5-for-9 while Joe Milton completed three of seven passes. However, Milton went 7-for-7 on the first day of practice. The Cowboys will rotate Milton and Howell for second-team snaps.
— WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling had the best catch of the second practice with a leaping grab. The best catch and throw of the first day of practice was Jonathan Mingo catching a pass from Milton in his chest with a defender draped over him.
— Kicker Brandon Aubrey went 5-for-5 on field goal attempts. Aubrey made field goals of 33, 24, 36, 39 and 42 yards, all into the wind.