Dak Prescott Enters Crucial Moment in His Career

FRISCO — As the Cowboys begin their 66th season in franchise history with a trip to Oxnard, Calif., for training camp on July 20, the face of the franchise enters a crucial moment in his professional career.

Dak Prescott enters his 10th season as the starting quarterback. It’s a position held in high esteem across the NFL, one judged by Super Bowl titles, or the lack thereof.

Prescott’s legacy is at stake.

“Yeah, I want to win a championship,” he said. “The legacy, whatever comes after I finish playing, will take care of itself. I want to win a championship. Be damned if it’s just for my legacy, or if it’s for this team, it’s for my personal being, for my sanity. Yeah, the legacy will take care of itself. I have to stay where my feet are.”

Prescott is on track to take over many franchise passing records, but in nine seasons he has won only two playoff games with no trips to the NFC title game. The Cowboys, who have won five Super Bowls in eight appearances, have gone 29 seasons without a championship, the longest drought in franchise history. It’s a perplexing look for a franchise that claims winning championships is how you should be judged.

A generation of players have worn the Cowboys jersey, with many beloved by a rabid fanbase and owner Jerry Jones. In the last few months, guard Zack Martin and left tackle Tyron Smith retired.

Both are considered Hall of Fame players.

Both have no Super Bowl rings.

It’s no wonder the new Netflix documentary series about the life of Jones, to be released next month, doesn’t feature current Cowboys players in its preview promotional material.

Instead, The Triplets — Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin — are highlighted. Those three players won three Super Bowls. Deion Sanders, whom the Cowboys signed in free agency in the 1990s, is also part of the promotion.

Winning Super Bowls is all Jones talks about.

The Cowboys Standard

Jones has said his biggest regret is not winning a title with Tony Romo as the starting quarterback. Romo, after 127 starts and four Pro Bowl appearances, never pushed the Cowboys to a conference title game.

This is where Prescott sits now. Like Romo and others before him, he’s dealing with the pressures of winning a title.

(Michael Hogue)

The years have gone by fast for Prescott, who started in 2016 and led the franchise to a 13-3 mark.

“It’s not hard to be reflective,” Prescott said. “I think you have to, especially with how [some of the seasons have been]. Some being injured, some getting to knocking on the door and not finishing it. Yeah, you have to, and what it does really is just makes you grateful for the opportunity.”

Prescott isn’t the first Cowboys quarterback to hear the noise of not winning a title. Don Meredith was the first star quarterback in franchise history. After nine seasons, he lost in two NFL championship games, including the famed Ice Bowl to the Green Bay Packers.

Meredith, tired of the pressures, retired following 83 starts.

Before Roger Staubach won a Super Bowl title, he heard criticism about the franchise’s inability to win “the big one.” Yet, Staubach won two Super Bowl crowns, including winning Super Bowl MVP in the 1971 season. After playing 11 seasons, he was named to the 1970 All-Decade Team and eventually was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Danny White replaced Staubach and pushed the Cowboys to three consecutive NFC title games but never reached the Super Bowl.

Aikman endured his own share of criticism, especially after going 0-11 in his rookie season in 1989. But Aikman won three Super Bowl crowns, a Super Bowl MVP, and is in the Hall of Fame.

The resumes of the Cowboys quarterbacks before Prescott, who is signed through the 2028 season, are impressive.

When his Cowboys career ends, Prescott will most likely hold several passing records in franchise history. Prescott is already fourth in team history in wins (76), third in passing yards (31,437) and second in passing touchdowns (213).

Romo retired with numerous team passing records, including passing touchdowns (247), passing yards (34,183) and completion percentage (65.3).

No Super Bowl titles. It’s what defines a quarterback’s legacy.

“Dak and I haven’t talked about his legacy or legacy, in general,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We just talk about what it takes to win. Work ethic, the sacrifice you have to make to win. That’s relevant in any field you’re in.”

Quarterback Comparisons

In an evaluation of Prescott’s career, it’s difficult to dismiss the success he’s had in comparison to the 15 quarterbacks taken in the 2016 NFL draft.

Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick, has four postseason wins to Prescott’s two and pushed the Rams to appearances in two conference championships and a Super Bowl.

Goff, who now plays for the Lions, is on a title-contending team.

Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick by the Eagles, has played for five teams with one Pro Bowl selection.

Prescott, a fourth-round pick, watched as seven other quarterbacks were drafted before him, including Christian Hackenberg in the second round by the New York Jets. Hackenberg never played in the NFL.

Of the three quarterbacks selected in the fourth round, only Prescott has started at least one NFL game.