Indications are that the Dallas Cowboys will extend quarterback Dak Prescott at some point, but is that the right decision for the team? A couple of offseasons ago, Prescott signed a contract extension that pays him an average of $40 million per season, which is tied for the seventh most AAV among all QBs in the NFL.
Prescott was a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2016 and has been the full-time starter since then. Over his seven seasons in the NFL, Prescott has gone 61-36 in the regular season, throwing for 24,943 yards, 166 touchdowns, 65 interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.8.
He’s also 2-4 in the playoffs, making the postseason in four of his seven years as an NFL starter. In three of his seasons, Prescott has won double-digit games and has only had one losing season during his career, where he went 2-3 in five games back in 2020.
On the surface, it looks like the Cowboys’ signal-caller is a true franchise leader. He wins games, plays the position well, and is quite the teammate and role model, but the two-time Pro Bowler might not be quite good enough.
I do believe TV host Colin Cowherd has called him “Kirk Cousins with better PR” and honestly, that isn’t an outrageous comparison. He’s been in the NFL for seven seasons, and what exactly has he won? He’s never been to an NFC Championship game, obviously never been to a Super Bowl, and has missed 16 games over the last three seasons.
Listen, I’m largely a fan of Prescott; he’s an above-average QB, but the Cowboys have fielded some excellent teams during his career, and nothing has come of it.
I do think there are some similarities between Prescott and Cousins, and yes, Cousins has been a starter in the NFL for a while, but all he’s done is put up solid numbers in the regular season. That’s really it.
Should the Dallas Cowboys really invest another four years and perhaps $45 million per season for a QB who hasn’t shown the ability to be truly great? I’m not so sure. I mean, what else can the organization do? They had one of the very best defenses in the NFL the past two seasons, a solid coaching staff, and a talented roster.
At some point, the blame has to go onto the QB, and Dak Prescott might not be who gets the Cowboys over the hump.