FRISCO, Texas â Dak is back.
Welcome back, welcome back.
Bet your final dollar, Brian Schottenheimer is a most happy camper in his 2025 head coaching debut that Dak Prescott is back under center, if for no other reasons than this: Since Dak burst onto the Dallas scene his 2016 rookie season and now entering his 10th NFL year, the Cowboys have only suffered two losing seasons â 2020 and this past 2024 season.
Know the common denominator?
In 2020, Dak suffered a season-ending injury five games in, the Cowboys finishing 6-10 in head coach Mike McCarthy's first season as head coach. That was the team's first losing season since 2015 when franchise quarterback Tony Romo started just four games, finishing but two in a 4-12 year.
In 2024, Dak suffered another season-ending injury in the eighth game, the Cowboys finishing 7-10 in what turned out to be McCarthy's final year as head coach.
Face it, Dak makes a difference, compiling a 76-46 record over his nine seasons, only three NFL quarterbacks over this nine-year span with more victories: Patrick Mahomes (89-23), Jared Goff (81-52) and Tom Brady (79-31). And Josh Allen has matched his win total (76-35).
Throw first-time NFL offensive coordinator Klayton Adams in the Dak Prescott Admiration Club, too, saying, "Not only an unbelievable leader, like the CEO of a corporation, he's also kind of the ringleader in the locker room."
Wish you guys could have seen Dak perform in training camp, treating those practices and that scrimmage against the Rams like a young pup. No matter his 10th season, might as well have been his rookie year in 2016 when the fourth-round draft choice was in somewhat of a battle for the third quarterback spot with Jameille Showers. One that some misguided observers actually thought Dak was the solid fourth until backup Kellen Moore when down with a season-ending injury and then Tony Romo went down in the preseason for what turned out to be the injury ending his career.
Dak became the unquestioned man.
Look, since Prescott did not play in any of this summer's three preseason games, the last time he actually played in a game was Nov. 3 of last year, when he suffered the torn hamstring tendon against the Atlanta Falcons.
Will be right at 10 months to a day since he last played once Dak steps on the field in The Linc on Thursday night to help open the NFL season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
He's almost giddy.
"Man, excited," he told me on Monday after practice. "Blessed. Yeah, blessed. Not a lot of words for it other than truly thankful. And it's been a lot. A lot every day to get to it, just to get to doing something I love."
Dak's rehab was not easy. Took him time to first get off those crutches. In fact, couldn't stand last year being left behind on road games to watch on TV. Can't remember the game, was some time in December, he came to the game on the charter flight just to be with the guys. And there I stood behind him on the tarmac boarding the flight home, having to cast aside his crutches to hobble up the stairs onto the plane.
Only Dak would say at the top, "Probably held up the line, didn't I?"
Please.
But here we are, heading to Philadelphia on this Wednesday, to face a dangerous Eagles defense. One I well remember back in 1991 sacking Troy Aikman a brutal 11 times in the third game of the season that still matches the Cowboys' opponent single-game high. And know that Eagles registered 41 sacks in their 14-3 season of 2024.
Philly last year also ranked No. 1 in fewest yards allowed, fewest passing yards allowed and second in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed.
And there is this, the Cowboys' apparent shortcomings heading into this season, and there are many: having traded away Micah Parsons; hoping Trevon Diggs is in good enough condition to play a heavy dose in this opener; needing to improve their run defense, though hoping nose tackle Kenny Clark acquired in the Parsons trade can make a huge difference; and having to start at least three offensive linemen with no more than two years of experience.
At least the Cowboys have Dak Prescott. At least they have two No. 1 receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. A healthy Jake Ferguson at tight end. Making an effort to integrate KaVontae Turpin into the offense as more than a gimmick receiver. The speed of Jaydon Blue. And defensively, to go hopefully with Diggs, is DaRon Bland. There is veteran Kenneth Murray at linebacker. Defensive ends Sam Williams, Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland and James Houston.
Warning: Don't judge this team by preseason results.
And there is this, too: Dak did not play a down in either of the Cowboys' games against Philadelphia last year. Not a one. Yet continue seeing media members throw around the stats of the Eagles beating the Cowboys in those two games by a combined score of 75-13. Yep, that lopsided. but âŚ
"It was hard to watch any game," Dak said of last year, particularly the two against the Cowboys' NFC East rival. "And to be honest ⌠if I was healthy, that wouldn't have been the same team. And that's what was frustrating, that I couldn't help."
One other point, and Dak said this was brought up to him during his Monday session with Thursday night's NBC crew, Mike Tirico, Cris Collingsworth and Melissa Stark: Where he suddenly is being ranked among the top quarterbacks in the league after his injury-shortened 2024 season.
They knew. In the NFL.com Top 100 players, voted on by the league players themselves, 16 quarterbacks were ranked. Dak, at 79, was the 15th, ahead of only Tua Tagovailoa (91). Why, ranked ahead of Dak were such QBs as Sam Darnold (72), Jordan Love (68), Bo Nix (64) and the likes of C.J. Stroud as high as 39. And, of course, Jayden Daniels (19) after his stellar rookie season.
"They said, 'You were runner-up in the MVP voting (2023), and then last year the injury. I don't know where you are on the rankings, but to the world out there you are not high at all. How do you feel about it?'" was the question posed to Dak.
"It's what you can do now for people," Dak said of the slight. "And on top of that, everybody likes the new shiny car."
To remind in case of short-term memory loss, here's Dak's stat line playing all 17 games that impressive 2023 season:
- 3 passing yards, 4,513.
- 1 completions, 410.
- 2 completion percent, 69.5%.
- 1 touchdown passes, 36.
- 2 touchdown percentage per pass attempt, 6.1%.
- 2 QB rating, 105.9.
Dak is just eight games removed from that stellar third Pro Bowl season and when voted second-team All-Pro. But Dak gets it, and he's right: What have you done for me lately?
In fact, the last time Dak played the Eagles would have been Dec. 10, 2023, a 33-13 Cowboys victory. And oh, by the way, in that third straight Cowboys 12-5 season and winning the NFC East for a second time in three years, shame on Dak for only putting up 32 points in that wild-card round playoff loss to Green Bay when needing 49 to win.
"I just got to go play," Dak said of this season. "And stay healthy."
And if he does, don't be surprised if this young Cowboys team gets better as the year goes along and finishes with 10 wins since, yes, Dak is back.
