The Dallas Cowboys are walking into the season with the spotlight burning hotter than ever, and Dak Prescott is right at the center of it.
That’s the reality after an offseason filled with optimism in Dallas. In Brian Schottenheimer’s first year as head coach, the Cowboys spent the year trying to reshape their identity and clean up the culture.
Offensively, they made real progress. They were one of the league’s best teams in yardage and points scored.
The problem was everything else.
Dallas’ defense never held up, and those issues helped drag the team to a 7-9-1 finish. That collapse has already led to major changes heading toward 2026, with first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker now tasked with steering a revamped unit. But even with that reset, the expectations around this team are sky-high.
That’s exactly why Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon has Dallas sitting near the top of his recent NFL panic meter rankings. He pegged the Cowboys at 9/10, arguing that the pressure is heavier in Dallas than almost anywhere else.
“No team is under a more intense microscope. They're coming off back-to-back losing seasons, and they still have just two playoff wins in the decade-long Dak Prescott era. That has to change ASAP or Prescott could be out.”
Prescott is coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career. He threw for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. But the numbers didn’t translate into a playoff berth, and that kind of ending always leaves the quarterback carrying the blame along with the credit.
The defensive issues were obvious, but Prescott still knows the standard in Dallas. If the Cowboys fall short again in 2026, the conversation around him will only get louder.
For now, though, the contract structure makes one thing clear: Dallas is locked in. Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension in 2024 and is under contract through the 2028 season.
There’s no realistic escape until after 2027, and the financial hit would be massive. Spotrac lists his dead cap charge at $131.4 million as a pre-June 1 cut in 2027.
Even as a post-June 1 release, the numbers would still be steep, at $76 million in 2027 and $55.45 million in 2028.
So while the pressure is real, the Cowboys have already made their bet. Prescott is their quarterback, and for the next several seasons, Dallas will go only as far as he can take them.
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Cowboys Face A Painful Dak Prescott Decision They Can't Delay
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Milton gives the staff the kind of athleticism and arm strength that can make a preseason day feel a little different, while Howell comes with NFL starting experience and a more established track record. The problem is simple enough to understand and hard enough to solve: keeping both quarterbacks would squeeze depth at other spots when the 53-man roster cutdown arrives, and the Cowboys do not have the luxury of carrying extra competition everywhere. [Read more 🡒]