The Dallas Cowboys are off to a brutal 2-4 start to the NFL season, and the heat on quarterback Dak Prescott and coach Brian Schottenheimer is absolutely scorching. With a critical Monday Night Football divisional showdown against the Eagles looming, everyone is asking what the heck is going on in Dallas.
The Mud Is Getting Deep for Dak
Scrutiny is mounting fast, but Prescott himself told Front Office Sports that all this media pressure? Yeah, it just comes with wearing the star. “That’s the territory,” Prescott told Baker Machado. “You can’t ask for the rain and be mad about the mud.” But man, that mud is looking pretty thick right now. Prescott, now 33, was a fourth-round pick in 2016 and won Rookie of the Year that season, but let’s be real, playoff success has been nowhere to be found. The Cowboys have only two playoff victories in his entire era, and they have never made it past the divisional round. Ever.
And it is not getting better this year. Dallas just dropped back-to-back games against the previously winless Buccaneers and the Packers. Ouch. That kind of performance opens the floodgates for media criticism, and Prescott is right in the middle of it. Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take did not hold back, saying the team has come up short “time and time and time again” with Prescott at the helm, even bringing up how former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo had a better career playoff record. Prescott, for his part, claims he can laugh it off. “Occasionally, you do get a hot take or you hear a hot take or you get asked about it, and yeah, it’s comical,” he said. “At the end of the day we know the ins and the outs of the organization and what’s happening and why we’re not getting things done. So some of these takes are just for clicks and that’s okay too.”
Jones’ Shadow and Prescott’s Pockets
It is not just Prescott and the coach getting flak. Owner Jerry Jones is also under fire for his role in the Cowboys’ 30-year championship drought. Jones, who is 84, has owned the team since 1989 and still holds onto that general manager role, something most other NFL teams moved away from a long time ago. He is famous for his open relationship with the media, which Prescott actually thinks helps the franchise. “I think ultimately when he does that, whether you like his messages or not, you create an opinion of the Cowboys,” Prescott explained. “And if you have an opinion of the Cowboys, good or bad, you’re gonna wanna tune in, you’re gonna wanna find out if they’re winning or if they’re losing … When you have an opinion, eyes are all on.”
Funny enough, Prescott knows a thing or two about Jones’ business smarts. He signed a four-year, $240 million contract extension in 2024, which at the time made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. When asked about working with Jones during contract negotiations, the veteran signal-caller said he has learned a ton. “I’d definitely say his business savviness and just watching him from afar has definitely rubbed off and helped me out,” Prescott shared. “I wouldn’t say it’s from going up against him and duking things out.”
More Games? More Problems?
Beyond the current mess, Prescott was asked about the growing movement to extend the NFL season to 18 games. That is not allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement, but it could be negotiated into a new one. Prescott sounds open to it, as long as it comes with adjustments like extra compensation, an additional bye week, and a shortened preseason. “My view on it is, if it’s better for the game, I’m always looking for an opportunity to play to display my love for this game and passion for it in front of our fans,” he said. “I get that there’s a certain number of too many games and we’re probably getting to that limit, but I don’t know.”
The Cowboys desperately need to turn things around fast, especially with that divisional matchup against the Eagles on Monday Night Football coming up. Dropping to 2-5 would make that “mud” a whole lot deeper, and there are not many answers coming from Dallas right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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