Cowboys' Dak Prescott Takes Massive Hit On NFC East List
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Dak Prescott once looked like the ruler of the NFC East. While he had a strong rivalry with former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz early on in his career, it was short-lived. The New York Giants dealt with a transition from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones, and the Washington Commanders spent years cycling through options in an attempt to find somebody who would stick.
While all that was happening, the Cowboys gladly stuck with Prescott. These days, though, the Dallas quarterback seems to be falling behind. With years of postseason shortcomings and a recent injury that caused a nine-game absence in 2024, the love is barely there for Prescott from a national standpoint.
NFL Analyst Nick Shook recently ranked the quarterbacks of each division to weigh the strength of the position on a divisional basis. The NFC East is strong up top, but when it reaches Prescott, that's where the question marks happen.
"In many previous years, Prescott would be the unquestioned top quarterback among the four," Shook wrote.
"Instead, after missing nine games in 2024, he's third among this group, according to the year-end QBI rankings, and is going to need a strong bounceback season to usurp the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year (Daniels) and Super Bowl LIX MVP (Hurts). That's how high the bar is in the NFC East."
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys walks off the field after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys walks off the field after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.The 31-year-old Prescott entered the NFL with low expectations in 2016. While the media debated Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, who went one and two that year, the fourth-round Prescott ended up shining brighter than both, winning the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
It was a dream season for the Cowboys, who finished 13-3 that year. Prescott completed 68 percent of his passes for over 3,600 yards and tossed 23 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Prescott has been consistent throughout his career—but he hasn't been good enough to propel the Cowboys to the same heights as his rookie year. Since winning 13 games in 2016, the Cowboys have notched double-digit wins with Prescott under center just three other times in eight seasons.
In 2023, Prescott was having an impressive run as he completed a career-high 70 percent of his passes throughout the year. He threw for over 4,500 for just the second time. He led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and turned it over via interception fewer than 10 times.
After finishing 12-5, the Cowboys looked ready to make a deep run. They ended up being one-and-done. Unfortunately, Prescott's bounce-back year ended after just eight games. Dallas had notched a record of just 3-5 when he went down.
As Prescott approaches new lows in his career, his NFC East peers have been on a tear. Jayden Daniels took over the league by storm, just as Prescott did during his rookie campaign. Jalen Hurts fought through a season full of criticism and ended up leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl, where he was named the MVP.
The only player Prescott has beaten out in this case is Russell Wilson. This season, Wilson joins the New York Giants as a one-year rental after his lone season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although there have been rumblings of a strong spring for the former Pro Bowler, there has been more buzz surrounding a future benching for Wilson, more than anything. For Prescott to be ranked only four spots higher than Wilson at this stage is concerning.
If Prescott is motivated by bulletin board material, then he'll get what he needs this year. Being the only NFC East starting passer without an NFC Championship appearance under his belt, Prescott is losing his juice in the division as a new set of passers take the spotlight.
For more Dallas Cowboys and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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