Intended to serve as a backup in his rookie season, Prescott became the Cowboys' starting quarterback after starterTony Romo was injured in the preseason. He went on to lead the Cowboys to the conference top seed and set several rookie quarterback records, earning himOffensive Rookie of the Year. For his philanthropy and community impact, he was awarded theWalter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2022. Prescott has led the Cowboys to a total of four division titles, made fourPro Bowl appearances, oneAll-Pro selection, and finished second in theNFL MVP voting in 2023. Prescott holds several Cowboys team records, including passing yards, completion percentage, and games with three or more touchdown passes.[3]
Early life
Prescott was born inSulphur, Louisiana, the youngest of three sons to Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott.[4] Prescott's parents divorced when he was in elementary school and he was raised by his mother who worked as a manager of a truck stop.[5] Prescott attendedHaughton High School inHaughton, Louisiana, where he played football for the Buccaneers.[6] As asenior, he completed 159 of 258 passes for 2,860 yards and 39touchdowns. He also rushed for 951 yards on 90 attempts with 17 touchdowns, and led Haughton to become 2010 District 1-AAAA Champions.[7] A three-star recruit, Prescott accepted a scholarship fromMississippi State over offers fromLouisiana Tech,LSU,Memphis,Nicholls State,North Texas, andTCU.[8]
College career
Prescott wasredshirted as atrue freshman withMississippi State in 2011. As a backup toTyler Russell in 2012, he played in 12 games, completing 18 of 29 passes for 194 yards with four touchdowns and nointerceptions. He also scored four rushing touchdowns, with 110 yards on 32 carries.[9]
Prescott began as the backup to Russell again in the 2013 season, but took over as the starter when Russell suffered a concussion. He played in 11 games, completing 156 of 267 passes for 1,940 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 829 yards on 134 carries with 13 touchdowns.[10] He was the MVP of the2013 Liberty Bowl after leading the Bulldogs to a 44–7 win over theRice Owls.[11] His 2013 season performance ranks seventh in passing yards (1,940), tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (13), and fourth in total yards (2,769) and total touchdowns (23). Following the season, he was named to the 2013Southeastern Conference (SEC) Fall Academic Honor Roll.[12]
In his first season as a full-time starter in 2014, Prescott led the Bulldogs to a 10–2regular season record, its first #1 ranking in program history, and led them to theOrange Bowl.[13] During the 2014 season, Prescott broke 10school records including: single season passing yards (3,449), total yards of total offense (4,435), passing touchdowns (27), and total touchdowns (41).[14] Additionally his 14 rushing touchdowns is tied for fourth in school history. Prescott also garnered several accolades throughout and following the season. He was named the Manning Award Player of the Week five times (vs.UAB, atLSU, vs.Texas A&M, vs.Auburn, vs.Vanderbilt); the 2014 SEC Offensive Player of the Week three times (at LSU, vs. Auburn, vs. Vanderbilt); the Athlon Sports, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell Award Player of the Week twice each (at LSU, vs. A&M); and the 24/7 Sports National Offensive Player of Week (at LSU). He was named a 2014 Honorable Mention All-American by SI.com; named to the 2014 First-team All-SEC team by the AP, Coaches, and ESPN.com; and on the 2014 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. He won theConerly Trophy and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, theDavey O'Brien Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award, and the Manning Award. He also finished eighth in the 2014Heisman Trophy voting and received two first-place votes.[12][15]
Before the 2015 season, he was named a 2015 National Player of the Year Candidate, was selected to two Preseason All-American teams (Athlon Sports andPhil Steele), and was chosen First-team Preseason All-SEC by the media.[16] During the 2015 season, he became the fourth player in FBS history to pass for 60 touchdowns and rush for 40 touchdowns in a career, joiningDan LeFevour ofCentral Michigan,Tim Tebow ofFlorida, andColin Kaepernick ofNevada.[17] His 2,411 rushing yards places him third in all-time rushing yards by a quarterback in SEC history behind Tebow andMatt Jones ofArkansas.[18] He ranks fourth in SEC history with 107 total touchdowns responsible for (passing, rushing, and receiving)[19] and fifth in total yards (rushing and passing) with 11,153.[20] His streak of 288 consecutive pass attempts without an interception is the longest in school history and third-longest in SEC history.[21] In the Bulldogs' 2015 game against theArkansas, he set the school single game record and tied the SEC single game record for touchdowns responsible for with seven (five passing two rushing) and set a new school record for touchdown passes in a single game.[18] He was named the AutoNation National Offensive Player of the Week by theFootball Writers Association of America, the Davey O'Brien Award National Quarterback of the Week, a Manning Award Star of the Week by theAllstate Sugar Bowl, and the SEC offensive player of the week following his performance in the Bulldogs' victory overKentucky, a game in which he passed for 348 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns. The six touchdowns in a single contest tied the school record set byJackie Parker in 1952 and Prescott became the first player in school history to throw for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game. This was the fourth time that he has been named SEC Offensive Player of the Week, the most in program history.[22][23] Prescott received further national recognition by being placed on several national award watch lists including being named a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Award, placed on the watch list for theWalter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Manning Award, theWuerffel Trophy, and theSenior Bowl, and won the Senior CLASS Award as well as being awarded the 2017 NCAA Today's Top 10 Award.[24][25][26][27] For the season he passed for 3,793 yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns.[28]
For his career, Prescott finished third in SEC history in total yards,[29] and fourth in total touchdowns.[30]
Prescott holds 38 Mississippi State school records, and is the most decorated player in school history.[31][32][17][33]
TheDallas Cowboys entered the2016 NFL draft with a plan to acquire a young quarterback to develop behindTony Romo. After failing to trade up to selectPaxton Lynch andConnor Cook,[52] they selected Prescott in the fourth round (135th overall). He was the first quarterback selected by the Cowboys since the 2009 NFL draft.[53] He was signed to a four-year deal.[54]
When Prescott joined the Cowboys for their rookiemini camp, he was issued #10 since veteran wide receiverDevin Street wore his college number 15. During the first week of rookie mini camp, he decided to switch to #4 in honor of his mother, whose birthday is on September 4.[55]
The rookie moved up on the depth chart when backup quarterbackKellen Moore broke his righttibia during the first week oftraining camp and after the Cowboys could not reach an agreement with theCleveland Browns to trade for backupJosh McCown.[56]
After Moore's injury, Prescott competed with second-year quarterbackJameill Showers for the backup job to established starter Tony Romo. Several reports from August training camp indicated that Showers outperformed Prescott, showing greater accuracy and a quicker release.[57] However, the Cowboys coaching staff made the decision to start Prescott in the team's preseason opener at theLos Angeles Rams. Working with the Cowboys' first-team offense, Prescott completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in one half of action, though Dallas would lose the game 28–24.[58] Prescott continued his hot streak throughout the rest of the preseason, impressing all with his veteran-like pocket poise and decision making.[59]
After starting quarterback Tony Romo suffered avertebral compression fracture during the first quarter of the Cowboys' Week 3 preseason game against theSeattle Seahawks, and in light of Romo's projected 8–10 week recovery time,[60] Prescott was named the Cowboys starter for the beginning of the2016 season.[61]
Prescott's first regular-season start came on September 11 at home against theNew York Giants, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback to open the season as a starter in franchise history, and the first rookie to start at quarterback for the Cowboys sinceQuincy Carter in2001.[62] He totaled 227 passing yards, as the Cowboys lost, 20–19.[63] During Week 2 against theWashington Redskins, Prescott had 292 passing yards and a rushing touchdown as the Cowboys won, 27–23.[64] Prescott threw his first NFL touchdown, a 17-yarder to wide receiverDez Bryant, during the Cowboys' Week 3 matchup against theChicago Bears.[65] In total, he threw for 248 yards, the one touchdown, and also had a rushing score. The Cowboys won 31–17.[66] In Week 4 at theSan Francisco 49ers, Prescott passed for two touchdowns and 245 yards as the Cowboys won, 24–17.[67] Against theCincinnati Bengals in Week 5, Prescott threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while rushing for a touchdown in a 28–14 Cowboys victory.[68] During Week 6 against theGreen Bay Packers, Prescott had three touchdowns and 247 passing yards as the Cowboys won 30–16. The game marked the end of Prescott's interception-free streak.[69] After abye week, the Cowboys faced off against thePhiladelphia Eagles in Week 8, and fellow rookie quarterbackCarson Wentz for their first career matchup. The Cowboys prevailed in overtime 29–23, with Prescott totaling three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing) on 287 passing yards.[68]
Week 9 saw the Cowboys beat the Cleveland Browns 35–10, with Prescott providing 247 passing yards and three touchdowns.[70] In Week 10 against thePittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys won 35–30, with Prescott passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. One of the touchdowns was a then-career-high 83-yarder to Ezekiel Elliott.[71][72] The Cowboys continued their win streak in Week 11 by beating theBaltimore Ravens 27–17 with Prescott throwing for 301 yards and three touchdowns.[73] Week 12's annualThanksgiving Day game provided a 31–26 win over the Washington Redskins in their second divisional matchup. Prescott had two touchdowns (one rushing and one passing) and 195 passing yards.[68] His outstanding performance in November earned him Offensive Rookie of the Month.[74]
During Week 13 against theMinnesota Vikings, the Cowboys won 17–15, with Prescott passing for 139 yards and one touchdown.[75] In Week 14, the Cowboys were dealt their second loss on the season, by a score of 10–7, from division rival New York Giants, with Prescott passing for 169 yards and one touchdown in the contest.[76] In Week 15, the Cowboys beat theTampa Bay Buccaneers 26–20, with Prescott providing 279 passing yards and one rushing touchdown.[77] Against theDetroit Lions in Week 16, the Cowboys won 42–21. Prescott passed for 212 yards and three touchdowns.[78] In the Week 17 regular season finale, with the top playoff seed in theNational Football Conference (NFC) clinched, the Cowboys decided to rest several starters. They lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 27–13, with Prescott only attempting eight passes for a total of 37 yards before being benched.[79] As a rookie, Prescott started all 16 games with 3,667 passing yards, 282 rushing yards, 29 total touchdowns, and only four interceptions, and his 67.8% completion percentage ranked fourth among NFL quarterbacks in 2016.[80]
With the Cowboys finishing the season with a 13–3 record, the team clinched theNFC East title. In theDivisional Round, the Cowboys faced the Green Bay Packers. Prescott completed 24 of 38 for 302 yards, with a quarterback rating of 103.2, and three touchdowns and an interception. Despite his strong performance, the Cowboys lost 34–31, ending their season. After a spectacular rookie season, Prescott was selected to thePro Bowl and named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, receiving 28 of 50 votes, beating out running back and teammateEzekiel Elliott by 7 votes.[81] He finished sixth in MVP voting.[82] He was ranked 14th by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[83] He was named to thePFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the second Cowboys quarterback to receive this award, joiningTroy Aikman in 1989.[84]
Prescott celebrates a win over the Redskins in 2017
Prescott started his second professional season with 268 passing yards and a touchdown in the 19–3 victory over theNew York Giants onSunday Night Football.[85] He followed that up with his first setback of the season with a 42–17 loss to theDenver Broncos, where he was 30-of-50 for 238 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.[86] In the next game against theArizona Cardinals onMonday Night Football, he bounced back with 183 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and his first rushing touchdown of the season in the primetime 28–17 win.[87] In Week 4, against theLos Angeles Rams, he was 20-of-36 for 252 yards, three passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 35–30 defeat.[88] In the next game against theGreen Bay Packers, he posted similar results, going 25-of-36 for 251 passing yards, three touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and one interception in the 35–31 loss.[89] The Cowboys snapped their small losing streak in the next game against theSan Francisco 49ers, posting a 40–10 victory. In the game, Prescott had his third consecutive game with three touchdown passes.[90] Prescott and the Cowboys followed up the big win over San Francisco with two victories over theWashington Redskins (33–19) andKansas City Chiefs (28–17) to put the team at a 5–3 record.[91][92]
Going into the next game against theAtlanta Falcons, the Cowboys learned that they would be without running back Ezekiel Elliott for a six-game suspension, putting more pressure on Prescott for the success of the offense.[93] In the game against the Falcons, Prescott was 20-of-30 for 176 yards and had a rushing touchdown, but was sacked 8 times as the Cowboys fell 27–7.[94] In the next game against theeventual Super Bowl championPhiladelphia Eagles, he went 18-of-31 for 145 yards and three interceptions in the 37–9 loss.[95] The Cowboys' struggles on offense continued in the next game against theLos Angeles Chargers onThanksgiving Day. The Cowboys fell 28–6 as Prescott tallied 179 passing yards and two interceptions.[96] Despite the setbacks, the Cowboys remained alive in playoff contention and responded with a 38–14 win over the Washington Redskins, where Prescott threw for two touchdowns.[97] In the next game against the New York Giants, he was 20-of-30 for a season-high 332 yards and three passing touchdowns, including an 81-yarder to Rod Smith, in the 30–10 victory.[98][99] Prescott had a rushing touchdown in the next game as the Cowboys prevailed 20–17 over theOakland Raiders.[100] In a pivotal Week 16 matchup with theSeattle Seahawks onChristmas Eve, he recorded 181 passing yards but had two interceptions in the costly 21–12 loss, which eliminated the Cowboys from postseason contention. However, even if the Cowboys won out, they would have still missed the playoffs due to the Atlanta Falcons finishing 10–6 (thus owning the tiebreaker).[101] Prescott finished the season with 179 passing yards and a touchdown in the 6–0 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.[102] Overall, Prescott finished his second professional season with 3,324 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 357 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns.[103]
Prescott started his third professional season passing for 170 yards in a 16–8 loss to theCarolina Panthers.[104] In the next game, he helped lead the Cowboys to their first win of the 2018 season with 160 passing yards and a touchdown against theNew York Giants 20–13.[105] After a 24–13 loss to theSeattle Seahawks in Week 3, Prescott passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns in a 26–24 victory over theDetroit Lions.[106][107] In Week 5, against theHouston Texans onNBC Sunday Night Football, he passed for 208 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the 19–16 overtime road loss.[108] In Week 6, a 40–7 victory over theJacksonville Jaguars, he had 183 passing yards and two passing touchdowns along with 11 carries for 82 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.[109] After losses to theWashington Redskins (20–17) andTennessee Titans (28–14), he helped lead the Cowboys to a 27–20 road victory over thePhiladelphia Eagles with 270 passing yards and a touchdown along with nine rushing yards and a touchdown.[110][111][112] In that stretch, the Cowboys acquiredAmari Cooper from theOakland Raiders as a new receiving target for Prescott.[113] After leading a game-winning drive over theAtlanta Falcons 22–19 in Week 11, he helped lead the Cowboys to a 31–23 victory over the Washington Redskins onThanksgiving Day.[114] In the victory, he had 289 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and his third consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. One of his passing touchdowns was a career-high 90-yard touchdown pass to Cooper.[115][116] In Week 13, Prescott passed for 248 yards and one passing touchdown and rushed for 22 yards as the Cowboys defeated the 10–1New Orleans Saints by a score of 13–10.[117] In the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Prescott was held to 222 with two interceptions through three quarters, but exploded for 270 yards and three touchdowns to Cooper in the fourth quarter and overtime, ending with a career-high 455 yards, a 104.9 passer rating, and a franchise-record 42 completions in the 29–23 victory.[118][119][120] The 42 completions were the most for any quarterback in a single game in the 2018 regular season.[121] After a Week 15 23–0 shutout loss to theIndianapolis Colts, Prescott rebounded with 161 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown in Week 16 against theTampa Bay Buccaneers. After the 27–20 win, the Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East for the second time in three years. In the regular season finale against the New York Giants, Prescott threw for 387 passing yards, and four passing touchdowns in the 36–35 win, making the Cowboys finish 2018 with a 10–6 record.[122][123]
The Cowboys entered the playoffs as the fourth seed. They faced off against the Seattle Seahawks in theWild Card Round, which at the time, Prescott was 0–2 against them. He passed for 226 yards, a touchdown, and an interception along with 29 rushing yards and a crucial touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 24–22 victory to earn his first playoff victory.[124] In theDivisional Round against the eventual NFC championLos Angeles Rams, he passed for 266 yards and a touchdown and rushed for three yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys fell 30–22.[125] Prescott earned his secondPro Bowl selection as an alternate, replacingDrew Brees,[126] where he threw a touchdown pass toAustin Hooper for the NFC side's only points of the game as the team lost to the AFC side 26–7.[127]
In the season-opener against theNew York Giants, Prescott threw 25 times for 405 yards and four touchdowns in the 35–17 win. Prescott's performance in the game gave him aperfect passer rating, the first Dallas quarterback to achieve the feat sinceCraig Morton on October 5,1969.[128] Prescott was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 1.[129]
Prescott hands the ball off toEzekiel Elliott during a game against the Redskins in 2019
In the following week against theWashington Redskins, Prescott completed 26 passes of 30 attempts for 269 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and rushed for 69 yards in a 31–21 win.[130][131] Prescott became the first Dallas quarterback to compile seven touchdown passes in the first two regular season games sinceDon Meredith in1966.[130] In Week 3 against theMiami Dolphins, Prescott went 19-of-32 passes for 246 yards with two passing touchdowns and one interception, and rushed for a touchdown, joiningRoger Staubach's record of 20 career rushing touchdowns, in a 31–6 win.[132][133]
In Week 4 against theNew Orleans Saints, Prescott completed 22 passes of 33 attempts for 223 passing yards and one interception in a 12–10 defeat.[134][135] During Week 5 against theGreen Bay Packers, Prescott finished with 463 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions as the Cowboys lost 34–24.[136] In the following week against theNew York Jets, Prescott completed 28 passes of 40 attempts for 277 passing yards and rushed for a touchdown in a 24–22 loss, making the Cowboys having their third consecutive loss.[137][138] During Week 7 against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Prescott went 21-of-27 passes for 239 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and had another 30 rushing yards for one touchdown with 10–37 win.[139][140]
During Week 9 against the New York Giants onMonday Night Football, Prescott's first pass attempt was intercepted byAntoine Bethea. Afterwards, he threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns in the 37–18 road victory.[141] In Week 10 against theMinnesota Vikings onNBC Sunday Night Football, Prescott threw for 397 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the 28–24 loss.[142] During Week 11 against theDetroit Lions, Prescott finished with 444 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns in the 35–27 road victory.[143] For his efforts, Prescott was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2019.[144]
Against theNew England Patriots in Week 12, Prescott struggled during the game as he completed 19-of-33 passes for 212 yards and an interception in a 13–9 defeat.[145][146] During theThanksgiving Day game against theBuffalo Bills in Week 13, Prescott passed 32 completions of 49 attempts for 355 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one interception in a 26–15 defeat.[147][148] In the following week against theChicago Bears in Week 14 onThursday Night Football, Prescott threw 27 of 49 completions for 334 passing yards and a touchdown in a 31–24 defeat.[149]
During the game against theLos Angeles Rams in Week 15, Prescott threw 9 of 16 completions for 160 yards in the first half. He finished the game with 15 completions of 23 attempts for 212 yards and two touchdown passes, snapping the Cowboys' three-game losing streak in a 44–21 victory.[150] During the NFC East title clinching game in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Prescott threw 25 of 44 for 265 yards in a 17–9 defeat.[151] In Week 17 against the Washington Redskins, Prescott threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 35 yards during the 47–16 win.[152]
Prescott finished the season with 4,902 passing yards, which ranked second in the league, 30 touchdowns, which ranked fourth, and 11 interceptions. In addition, he recorded 52 carries for 277 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns as the Cowboys missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record.[153] He was ranked 46th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[154]
The Cowboys placed thefranchise tag on Prescott on March 16, 2020, worth $31.4 million for the 2020 season.[155] He signed the tender on June 22, 2020.[156]In Week 1 against theLos Angeles Rams onNBC Sunday Night Football, Prescott threw for 266 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 30 yards as the Cowboys lost 20–17.[157] In Week 2 against theAtlanta Falcons, Prescott threw for 450 passing yards and a touchdown, and rushed for three additional touchdowns to help the Cowboys win 40–39. At one point during the game, the Falcons had a twenty-point lead over the Cowboys, but Prescott's four second half touchdowns aided by a successful onside kick and a last-second field goal won the game for the Cowboys.[158] He became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 400 yards and rush for three touchdowns in the same game.[159]Prescott was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 2.[160] During Week 3 against theSeattle Seahawks, Prescott finished with 472 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Cowboys lost 38–31.[161] During Week 4 against theCleveland Browns, Prescott finished with 502 passing yards, four touchdowns, an interception, and a lost fumble as the Cowboys lost 49–38.[162] He became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 450 yards in three consecutive games.[163]
In the Week 5 37–34 win against theNew York Giants, Prescott suffered an injury to his right ankle,[164] and was carted off the field. He completed 14 passes for 166 yards and an interception plus had a receiving touchdown before leaving.[165] It was revealed that he had suffered a compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle, and he underwent surgery the same night, ending his season.[166] Prescott was placed on season-endinginjured reserve on October 19, 2020.[167]
The Cowboys placed the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott for the second consecutive season on March 9, 2021,[168] and he signed a four-year contract extension with the Cowboys the next day[169] for $160 million with $126 million guaranteed. The deal included a $66 million signing bonus, the highest in NFL history at the time (it was surpassed in 2023 by quarterbackLamar Jackson's contract with theBaltimore Ravens).[170][171][172] In June 2021, he left Adidas and signed a five-year deal with Jordan.[173] In his first game back from his injury in Week 1 against thedefending Super Bowl championTampa Bay Buccaneers in theNFL Kickoff Game, Prescott threw for 403 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in a 31–29 loss.[174] In Week 6, Prescott threw for 445 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in a 35–29 overtime win over theNew England Patriots.[175] His performance earned him NFC Offensive Player Of The Week.[176] In Week 16, Prescott threw four touchdowns in a 56–14 blowout win against theWashington Football Team as the Cowboys would go on to clinch the NFC East division title.[177] For his performance against Washington, Prescott earned another NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[178] In Week 18, Prescott threw for 295 yards and five touchdowns in a 51–26 win over thePhiladelphia Eagles, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[179]
As the division winner, the Cowboys hosted theSan Francisco 49ers in theWild Card Round. In the game, Prescott completed 23 of 43 passing attempts for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also rushed for 27 yards and an additional touchdown in the 23–17 loss. On the last play with 14 seconds left, Prescott ran a quarterback draw up the middle for 17 yards, and was unable to spike the ball to stop the clock from running down.[180] Despite the loss, Prescott was named NVP (Nickelodeon Valuable Player) with more than 81 percent of the online vote, becoming the second losing quarterback to do so in as many years.[181] Prescott later apologized for comments which appeared to condone fans throwing objects at the officiating crew after the game ended.[182] He was ranked 44th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[183]
In Week 1 against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Prescott struggled, completing 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards and an interception before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a right thumb injury in the 19–3 loss.[184] Later, it was announced Prescott would miss 6–8 weeks with the thumb injury.[185] Prescott returned in Week 7 against theDetroit Lions, where he threw 207 yards and a touchdown in the 24–6 win.[186] Prescott finished the season with 2,860 passing yards, 66.2% passing completion, 23 touchdowns, and a season-high of 15 interceptions in 12 games.[187][188]
In theWild Card Round, Prescott completed 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards, four passing touchdowns, and rushed for a touchdown as the Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–14.[189]
In theDivisional Round, Prescott threw for 206 yards and one touchdown but threw two interceptions as the Cowboys would lose 19–12 against theSan Francisco 49ers.[190] He won the 2022 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.[191] Prescott was ranked 56th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[192]
In the season opener against the division rivalNew York Giants, Prescott completed 13 of 24 passes for 143 yards, shutting them out 40–0 in a blowout victory. It was his 11th consecutive time beating the New York Giants.[193] In Week 2 against theNew York Jets, Prescott completed 31 passes out of 38 attempts for 255 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns in a 30–10 win.[194] In the following week against theArizona Cardinals, Prescott went 25-of-40 passes for 249 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 28–16 defeat.[195] In Week 4 against theNew England Patriots, Prescott completed 28 passes out of 34 attempts for 261 passing yards and a first-quarter touchdown toCeeDee Lamb in a 38–3 win.[196] Facing the eventual NFC championSan Francisco 49ers the following week, Prescott was sacked three times and completed 14-of-24 passes for 153 passing yards, a touchdown pass, and three interceptions in a 42–10 lopsided defeat.[197][198] In Week 6 against theLos Angeles Chargers, Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown pass, 40 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys rallied for a 20–17 victory. Prescott also became the 30th quarterback to throw at least one touchdown pass against 31-or-more opponents in NFL history.[199]
After the bye week, Prescott threw 25-of-31 completions for 304 yards, four passing touchdowns, and an interception as the Cowboys defeated theLos Angeles Rams 43–20 in their 11th consecutive home victory.[200] In Week 9 against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Prescott threw for 374 passing yards and three touchdown passes in a 28–23 defeat.[201] In Week 10, Prescott completed 26 of 35 passes for 404 passing yards, four touchdown passes, an interception, and had a 10-yard rushing touchdown, defeating the New York Giants 49–17 for his 12th consecutive victory against them. He also set a franchise record with his third game of at least 400 passing yards and four touchdown passes, and was namedFedEx Air Player of Week 10.[202][203] In Week 12 onThanksgiving Day, Prescott threw for 331 yards and 4 passing touchdowns in his fifth consecutive game with at least two touchdown passes, defeating theWashington Commanders 45–10.[204][205] Prescott also tied Tony Romo's team record of 10 games with at least four touchdown passes.[204] Prescott was named the NFC Offensive Player of the month for November after passing for 1,298 yards, 13 touchdowns, one interception, and completing 68.5% of his passes.[206]
In Week 13 against theSeattle Seahawks, Prescott threw for 299 yards and 3 passing touchdowns in a 41–35 victory.[207][208] In Week 15 against theBuffalo Bills, Prescott struggled throughout the game, taking three sacks and completing 21 of 34 passes for 134 yards and an interception in a 31–10 loss.[209] In the following week against theMiami Dolphins, Prescott completed 20-of-32 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and lost a fumble in the 22–20 loss.[210] In Week 17 against theDetroit Lions, Prescott threw 26 of 38 completions for 345 yards and two touchdowns, including a 92-yard touchdown to CeeDee Lamb, and an interception in a narrow 20–19 win. The 92-yard touchdown pass was the second-longest pass in franchise history, behind a 95-yard connection between Don Meredith andBob Hayes in 1966.[211]
In the regular season finale against the Washington Commanders, Prescott completed 31 passes out of 36 attempts for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception, leading the Cowboys to a 38–10 blowout victory and clinching the NFC East.[212] Prescott finished his 2023 regular season with a 69.5% completion percentage, 4,516 passing yards, and NFL leading 36 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a career-high passer rating of 105.9.[212][213][214] Prescott was named a finalist forNFL MVP and finished second in voting, behindLamar Jackson.[215] At home against the No. 7 seededGreen Bay Packers in theWild Card Round, Prescott threw two interceptions in the first half, with one of them returned for a touchdown as the Cowboys fell into a 27–0 hole that they could not recover from, as they lost 48–32.[216]
On September 8, 2024, Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $240 million, including $231 million guaranteed and an $80 million signing bonus. With an average of $60 million a year, the deal gives Prescott the highest average annual value in NFL history.[217]
In the Cowboys’ season opener against theCleveland Browns, he completed 19 of 32 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown in a 33–17 win.[218] In Week 3 against theBaltimore Ravens, he threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns in a 28–25 loss.[219] Four days later, in a Week 4 matchup with theNew York Giants onThursday Night Football, Prescott completed 22 of 27 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 20–15 win.[220] In Week 5 against thePittsburgh Steelers onSunday Night Football, despite throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble, he threw for 352 yards and two touchdowns, including a four-yard game-winning touchdown pass toJalen Tolbert with 20 seconds remaining in a 20–17 victory.[221] In the Cowboys’ Week 6 matchup against theDetroit Lions, Prescott struggled, throwing for just 178 yards and two interceptions in a 47–9 loss.[222]
In Week 9, Prescott injured his hamstring during a 27–21 loss to the Falcons. An initial diagnosis revealed that Prescott suffered a partialavulsion of his right hamstring, keeping him sidelined for multiple weeks.[223] On November 12, Cowboys ownerJerry Jones announced Prescott would undergo hamstring surgery and miss the rest of the season.[224] Prescott finished his ninth season with 1,978 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, leading the Cowboys to a 3–5 record.[225] His 86.0 passer rating and 1.38-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio were career lows, while his 64.7% completion rate was the second-lowest of his career.[226]
Following the retirement ofZack Martin and the departure ofDeMarcus Lawrence via free agency, Prescott became the longest active member of the Cowboys.[227]
In theNFL Kickoff game of the2025 NFL season against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Eagles defensive tackleJalen Carter spat on Prescott, resulting in an unsportsmanlike penalty and Carter's disqualification only six seconds into the game. Prescott was claimed to have spit first, but he later denied that he was spitting and if he did, it was accidental.[228] During the game, Prescott completed 21 of 34 passes for 188 yards in a 24–20 loss.[229]
In Week 2 against theNew York Giants, Prescott completed 38 of 52 passes for 361 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception in a 40–37 overtime victory.[230] In Week 4 against theGreen Bay Packers onSunday Night Football, Prescott completed 31 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and also scored on a two-yard rushing touchdown in a 40–40 tie.[231] In Week 5 against theNew York Jets, Prescott completed 18 of 29 passes for 237 yards and four touchdowns in a 37–22 victory.[232]
In Week 6 against theCarolina Panthers, Prescott completed 25 of 34 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 30–27 loss.[233] In Week 7 against theWashington Commanders, Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns in a 44–22 win.[234] In Week 9 against theArizona Cardinals onMonday Night Football, Prescott completed 24 of 39 passes for 250 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception in a 27–17 loss.[235]
In Week 11 against theLas Vegas Raiders onMonday Night Football, Prescott completed 25 of 44 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 33–16 victory.[236] For his efforts, he set the Cowboys franchise record for most games with 3+ passing touchdowns with 41, surpassing Tony Romo's previous record of 40.[237]
In Week 12 against the Eagles, Prescott completed 23 of 36 passes for 354 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception, and also scored on an eight-yard rushing touchdown in a 24–21 victory.[238] He led the team past a 21–0 deficit in the second quarter, tying the record for the largest comeback victory in Cowboys history.[239][240] Prescott also broke Tony Romo's all-time franchise passing yards record of 34,184 yards.[241]
In Week 13 against theKansas City Chiefs onThanksgiving Day, Prescott completed 27 of 39 passes for 320 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception in a 31–28 victory.[242] In Week 16 against theLos Angeles Chargers, Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns in a 34–17 loss.[243] In Week 17 against the Commanders onChristmas Day, Prescott completed 19 of 37 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns in a 30–23 win.[244]
Prescott finished the season with a 67.3% completion percentage, 4,552 passing yards and 30 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also led the league in passing completions for the second time in his career.[245] He was also named to his fourth career Pro Bowl.[246]
4×NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 1, 2019,[129] Week 11, 2019,[144] Week 2, 2020,[251] Week 6, 2021[252])
NFL records
Prescott finished his 2016 rookie regular season with a record 11 games with an over 100 NFL passer rating, breaking the rookie record of nine games set byRussell Wilson in 2012. He tied theBen Roethlisberger 2004 rookie record of winning 13 games as a starter.[253][254][255]His NFL passer rating of 104.9 brokeRobert Griffin III's rookie record of 102.4 set in 2012. His 0.87% interception to attempts (459–4) broke the rookie record of 1.27% (393–5) set by Robert Griffin III.[256][257] He threw 23 touchdowns and 4 interceptions for a touchdown to interception ratio of 5.75 breaking the previous rookie record of 4.00 (20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions) set by Robert Griffin III, and for a touchdown to interception differential of 19 breaking Russell Wilson's rookie record of 16 (26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions).[258][259] His 67.76% pass completion percentage broke the rookie record of 66.44% set by Ben Roethlisberger.[260] In a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Prescott set an NFL rookie record with an 88.9%completion percentage.[261][262] The record was later broken byJayden Daniels in 2024.[263]
In 2023, he led the NFL in passing touchdowns, with 36, and passing completions, with 410.[214]
Cowboys franchise records
Most Completions (game): 42 (December 9, 2018, against the Philadelphia Eagles)[264]
Most Completions (rookie season): 311 (2016)[265][266]
Most Completions (game, as a rookie): 32 (December 18, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers)[267]
Most Pass Attempts (rookie season): 459 (2016)[268]
Most Passing Yards (rookie season): 3,667 (2016)[269]
Most 4th Quarter Comebacks (rookie season): 5 (2016)[271]
Most 4th Quarter Comebacks (season): 5 (2016, tied with Tony Romo in 2012)[271]
Most Games with 3+ Passing Touchdowns (career): 41 (2025)
Personal life
Prescott is a Christian.[272] He is the son of Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott and has two older brothers, Tad and Jace, an older sister, Natalie Prescott-Smith, and an older half-brother, Elliott Prescott, from his father's previous marriage. Jace was anoffensive lineman atNorthwestern State.[273] His mother died ofcolon cancer in November 2013.[12][274][275] The Faith Fight Finish Foundation by Dak Prescott has been established in her honor, which helps people deal with adversity.[276] His older brother Jace died by suicide in April 2020.[277][278] His father isAfrican American and his late mother was White.[279] Prescott currently resides inFrisco, Texas.[280]
Prescott graduated fromMississippi State with a bachelor's degree ineducational psychology in December 2014, and a master’s degree in workforce leadership in December 2015, both of which he completed before entering the 2016 NFL Draft.[32][281]
On November 26, 2023, Prescott's girlfriend Sarah Jane Ramos announced viaInstagram that the couple were expecting the birth of a baby girl.[282] On March 4, Prescott announced that the baby was born on February 29, 2024.[283] On October 18th, 2024 the two announced their engagement via Instagram; seven months later, Prescott and Ramos welcomed a second daughter on May 22, 2025.[284][285]
^"Dak Prescott".Mississippi State University College of Arts & Sciences. January 29, 2018.Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. RetrievedDecember 10, 2018.
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