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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
For all of the money and fame that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has accumulated over a decade in the NFL, he’s done little in terms of legacy.
What’s that mean, exactly?
Legacy is winning championships. Legacy is winning the NFL’s elite postseason honors — think NFL All-Pro, NFL MVP or NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
You won’t find much of any of that on Prescott’s CV.
He’s never made it to the NFC Championship Game, much less a Super Bowl. He’s been named NFL All-Pro once, in 2023, when he was NFL MVP runner-up in one of the most lopsided MVP votes in NFL history as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson received 49 out of 50 first-place votes.
Still, there’s something about Prescott that seems to provoke eternal optimism within NFL circles. ESPN’s Matt Bowen was the latest to take the dive, predicting Prescott will bring home NFL MVP honors in 2026.
“Prescott had more than 4,500 passing yards and threw 30 touchdowns this past season,” Bowen wrote. “With the Cowboys expected to retain wide receiver George Pickens, whom they will likely give the franchise tag, look for Prescott to produce high-level numbers again for a team that could challenge for the NFC East title in 2026 with an improved defense.”
Wild Set of Circumstances Led to Becoming Starter
Prescott was a fourth round pick (No. 135 overall) in the 2016 NFL draft out of Mississippi State — the 8th quarterback taken that year — and was only drafted after the Cowboys tried and failed to trade up to draft both Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook.
Scheduled to compete for the third-string quarterback job with Jameill Showers, Prescott was only slotted into the backup role after backup quarterback and current New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore broke his leg in training camp and the Cowboys tried and failed to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown.
After starting quarterback Tony Romo fractured his back late in the preseason, Prescott was thrust into the starting role. He set NFL records for most wins by a rookie quarterback (13), highest passer rating by a rookie quarterback (104.9) along with being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler.
History of Answering Critics in Big Ways
Twice in his career, Prescott has signed the largest contract in NFL history — a 4-year, $160 million contract before the 2020 season and a 4-year, $240 million contract before the 2024 season.
He didn’t get access to those types of riches by not being able to bounce back from adversity. Most noticeably, he returned from a gruesome fractured ankle in 2020 to lead the Cowboys to 3 consecutive 12-5 seasons from 20212 to 2023.
In 2025, he returned from a hamstring injury which required surgery — and forced him to miss 10 games — to have one of the best seasons of his career with 4,552 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the way to the Cowboys having the NFL’s No. 2 ranked offense.
For historical purposes, the Cowboys’ last NFL MVP was running back Emmitt Smith in 1993.
Standing In Prescott’s Way: Awful, Awful Defense
While the Cowboys had arguably the NFL’s best offense in 2025, they also had arguably the worst defense, finishing 30th out of 32 teams in total yards allowed.
Until they fix that, Prescott and anyone else can count on the NFL MVP award going elsewhere.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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