​Ahead of his 11th season, Dak Prescott stands as Dallas’ longest-tenured player on the current roster. He remains a step behind Jason Witten and L.P. Ladouceur in the franchise’s all-time longevity rankings, still chasing a different, more pressing milestone. Like every Cowboys fan, Prescott’s focus centers on joining Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman as the franchise’s quarterbacks who have led Dallas to a Super Bowl title.
Years in the NFL: 10
Acquired by: 2016 fourth-round pick
Few NFL careers arrive with as widely known a narrative. In 2016, Prescott was viewed as a mid-range quarterback prospect, essentially a developmental project at best. The Cowboys’ decision to select him in the fourth round carried little expectation that he would become their quarterback of the future—or even the primary backup. Yet a training camp injury to Kellen Moore elevated Prescott to the top of the depth chart as the backup. Then Tony Romo’s injury in the third preseason game, coupled with Prescott’s dazzling August showings, created an unlikely path to Week 1 starting duties as a rookie.
Prescott set two rookie quarterback records in 2016: most wins (13) and the highest passer rating (104.9) in a single season. Although Romo was prepared to return in Week 11, Dallas’ eight-game winning streak solidified Prescott as the starter, a status he has retained ever since.
We’ve watched Prescott evolve as a passer from that inaugural year. When Moore took over as offensive coordinator in 2019, the offense opened up, allowing Prescott to post significantly bigger numbers. He jumped from 3,885 passing yards in the prior season to a career-best 4,902, along with his first season reaching 30 passing touchdowns. Even with changes in coaches and coordinators over the years, Prescott has remained one of the NFL’s most productive, high-volume passers.
Yet, like the team itself, Prescott’s career has been defined more by playoff shortcomings than regular-season accomplishments. Much like Romo, he has never advanced beyond the divisional round. While a handful of postseason performances have dazzled, he has also endured more struggles than peaks. For a franchise that defines itself by Super Bowl success, Prescott’s legacy sits within a larger ongoing narrative that Cowboys fans have been contending with since 1996.
Heading into this season, Prescott is more securely entrenched as the starter than Romo was a decade ago. His reputation as a leader and as one of the NFL’s most admirable people remains unquestioned, and expectations for him to contribute big numbers for fantasy owners persist. But to the Cowboys, all those accolades are secondary to the team’s ultimate objectives: what he can do to help secure championships.
Years Left: 3
2026 Cap Hit: $44.6 million
For many observers, Prescott’s contract has become a focal point of criticism. If his annual pay were closer to $33 million—more in line with peers like Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold—the scrutiny would be less intense. But with the Cowboys’ decision to make him the league’s most expensive player in 2021 (a distinction later eclipsed by Patrick Mahomes), the contract has only drawn sharper attention. The choice, whether viewed as a headline-grabbing move for SEO or a genuine commitment to a franchise icon, continues to shape the discussion surrounding Prescott’s impact and the team’s future prospects.