Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is not embarrassed about his past and he is not is not afraid or scared of the expectations placed upon him.
He knows he has just two playoffs wins as quarterback of the Cowboys.
He also knowns that’s not the standard expect of him or anyone who wears the star as quarterback of the America’s Team.
So showed up to training camp wearing a Super Bowl XXX championship T-shirt. That’s the last Super Bowl the franchise won, which came following the 1995 season, more than 30 years ago.
The Cowboys have just five playoff wins since and Prescott is 2-5 in the postseason since taking over as quarterback in 2016.
“It’s just a manifesting thing,” Prescott said. “Going into year 11, I’m not going to shy away from it. When you don’t have it, it sucks.
“Why shy away from that now? Why shy away from asking people to hold me to the same standard that I believe I can accomplish and that this team can accomplish?”
“We want stuff in life a lot of times, but then when people start talking about it, you kind of hesitate. ‘Should I say that if they’re going to hold me to it?” Prescott added. “Well, absolutely. Playing in this organization, being in it 10 years, going into year 11, I’m not going to shy away from it. When you don’t have it, it sucks when you don’t get to play for it. When you’re watching other teams play in the playoffs, there’s nothing worse than that. And so, yeah, I said I’d be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys when I was 6 years old and said I’d be in the NFL, and I got here.
“A lot of things in my life, I said I’d do and I did it. And so why shy away from that now? Why shy away from asking people to hold me to the same standard that I believe that I can accomplish and this team can accomplish?”
Prescott is in full belief of what the team can do and what he can do because he is in the prime of his career and playing the best football of his life.
Prescott, who is on the brink of owning all the passing records in Cowboys history and is coming off what he believes was the best season of his career in 2025, is as confident and comfortable as he has ever been.
He believes he can be even better in 2026.
“I’m never going to put a ceiling on how good I can be,” Prescott said. “But very comfortable. It’s just life. You grow, you mature, you go through things. You have kids. You understand that it’s about the way that you approach each and every day. I’m thankful for where I’m at. I’m thankful for this team. I’m thankful for the leaders that we have. Yeah, very, very comfortable and just trying to take every moment and not look ahead and just stay right where my feet are and be present. I know I’ve said that before and you guys know it’s something I take pride in, but it feels good when you’re able to do that and live that and not just only football, but in life.”
Prescott is not only confident in himself but also in his offense. While working out with skill players in Park City, Utah, before camp, Prescott came up with the anacronym GOTI, which stands for Greatest Offense There Is for the Cowboys offense.
It was well received. Everybody was on board.
“A lot of times you have a lot of [personnel] turnover. We didn’t have much turnover at all on our offensive side. We added some guys and some younger guys are going to have to step up,” Prescott said. “So maybe we seasoned the group a little bit and guys are getting older, but we were close to some historic things last year. And when you have the guys [we have], why can’t we be? And just yet, let’s be the greatest offense there is.
“You’ve heard, ‘The Greatest Show on Turf,’ and all the other different nicknames. … Each and every one of them loved it or taken pride in it. And that’s as cool as anything, is to watch them take pride in and watch them talk about it and say it to each other. It’s the way that we’ve been practicing. We’re just going to keep pushing each other.”
The Cowboys finished second in total offense (391.9 yards per game) to the Rams last season, and Dallas was seventh in scoring (27.7 points). The Cowboys have their entire starting offense back this season.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer believes the offense can take another step with Prescott and his receiver corps led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
“Yeah, I think so. Absolutely. I think I talked a little bit about Dak’s ability to work, Dak’s ability to find his flow and his routine going into year 10, whatever it is,” Schottenheimer said. ” We as a staff have to do our part with the evolution of the offense. We’re working extremely hard on that, knowing that everybody studied us last spring trying to figure out what we’re going to be. But yeah, I have a lot of confidence in this group.”
No is more confident than Prescott, in himself and the Cowboys.
And he has no intention of shying of away from the standard in Dallas or the expectations of a Cowboys quarterback.
“Playing in this organization, being in it 10 years, going into year 11, I’m not going to shy away from it,” Prescott said. “When you don’t have it, it sucks when you don’t get to play for it. When you’re watching other teams play in the playoff, there’s nothing worse than that. And so yeah, I’d say I’d be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys when I was six years old and said I’d be in the NFL and I got here.
“A lot of things in my life, I said I’d do and I did it., And so why shy away from that now? Why shy away from asking people to hold me to the same standard that I believe that I can accomplish and this team can accomplish.
Prescott, who turned 33 on Wednesday, admittedly liked hearing owner Jerry Jones say he is willing to go on all in to help the Cowboys get to the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, defensive tackle Kenny Clark and pass rusher Rashan Gary, while also moveing up one slot in the first round to draft safety Caleb Downs since the middle of last season.
They also added safety Jalen Thompson on the richest free agent deal the team has given out in more than a decade.
Jones said he would do more if necessary
And Prescott is appreciative.
But also less patient than in the past.
He’s urgent to be a winner.
“Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s kind of, like I said, I’m going to wear the shirt. I’m going to invite the standard,” Prescott said. “I know Jerry’s done the same. And when you watch what the organization is doing, that tells you that. And so I’m blessed to obviously be here 10 years, but to watch what’s happened over the last couple years and to see his mind and his urgency and him still wanting to do whatever he can to make this team better. That’s why you play and practice and make sure you give this team everything you can is because when the owner’s doing it and it’s going from the top to the bottom, why not? And life’s about being urgent. A lot of us want to wait and want to say, oh, we’ll do it later, but what are we really promised? Whether it’s football or whether it’s life.”
