Could Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott win the NFL MVP in 2020?
Following four seasons in which he was severely underpaid as the starting quarterback of the most visible sports franchise, Dak Prescott is looking to break the bank this season with a new contract from the Dallas Cowboys. The two sides have engaged in a long back and forth but outside of the contract situation, there’s nothing but positives for Prescott as he heads into his fifth season in the NFL.
For his career, Prescott boasts an overall record of 40-24 as the starting quarterback for Dallas and has twice won the NFC East. He’s also never had a losing season, with the 8-8 mark of 2019 being the worst record of his young career.
Throughout the success he has had, Dak has been unfairly labeled as a “bus driver,” meaning the credit is often given to his teammates and not him. There’s a belief that Ezekiel Elliott is the most important player and that Prescott not only comes behind him but also Amari Cooper and the offensive line are more to blame for the team’s success.
While it’s true that Prescott struggled at times when he didn’t have Elliott, Cooper, and even Tyron Smith their left tackle, he’s also proven time and again that he can be a winner. And his stat line in 2019 was nothing short of brilliant.
Prescott finished one-yard shy of the franchise’s single-season passing yardage total with 4,902. He’s also the only quarterback not named Tony Romo to throw for more than 30 touchdown passes in a season, finishing the year with a mark of 30 touchdowns and just 11 picks.
However, Prescott — much like Romo before him — receives far too much criticism and that makes it seem laughable to many that he’s asking for MVP-type money. But apparently, there are those who don’t agree that he’s being absurd as oddsmakers have Dak as the sixth most likely NFL MVP this season with the odds sitting at +1800, per Odds Shark, which ties him with Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans.
With that being the case, we look ahead to the 2020 NFL season and identify three reasons that Prescott could finish this coming season with the MVP award.