Stephen A. Smith spent Friday doing two things at once: defending Dak Prescott’s composure and reminding everybody that his standards for the Cowboys quarterback still haven’t changed.
"He is class personified, Dak is the ultimate professionalist."@stephenasmith comments on Dak Prescott and his postgame encounter with stadium staff ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0Y1bvXNPq5
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 9, 2026
The flashpoint came after Thursday night’s 24-16 Buccaneers win over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Tampa Bay, which had been winless entering the night, picked up its first victory of the season, while Prescott finished 24-of-42 for 316 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The second pick came on Dallas’ final offensive drive.
Then came the tunnel scene. As Prescott made his way off the field, a stadium worker called the loss “embarrassing.”
Prescott looked at him, kept walking, and told a team employee to remove him. According to Pro Football Talk, the worker was a driver employed by a third-party contractor.
Smith had no patience for the taunt. “He handled the whole situation in the tunnel with the utmost class.
He is class personified. Dak is the ultimate professional,” he said.
He went even harder at the worker. “I’m usually not this guy.
But that guy in that tunnel, yelling that at him, you’re lucky if you got a job today,” Smith said. “You shut your damn mouth.
You don’t scream at the quarterback, embarrassing him. Not when you’re an employee there.
What’s the matter with you?”
Smith also said Prescott showed restraint by not identifying the worker himself, adding that Jerry Jones “would get rid of him.” Prescott later addressed the incident by saying people are free to speak their minds, but should not “coward away from the reaction that you’re going to get.”
That praise didn’t mean Smith was suddenly ready to move Prescott into the league’s elite. He pushed back when a co-host put Prescott ahead of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, calling it “Texas bias.” He also went straight at Prescott’s playoff record.
“How many coaches is it going to take for Dak Prescott to win playoff games? He’s only got two in 10 years,” Smith said.
Smith then left Prescott out of his top tier of quarterbacks, naming Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Purdy as better players.
So the verdict from one of Prescott’s loudest critics was split right down the middle: the quarterback earned respect for how he handled the tunnel moment, but the bigger debate about his standing in the NFL remains as unforgiving as ever.
In Other News...
Bucs Upset Win Left Dak Prescott Seething After A Wild Postgame Scene
The Cowboys home loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night already had the feel of a damaging one, and the night only got stranger after the final whistle. In the tunnel at the stadium, a viral exchange unfolded when a stadium worker called Dak Prescott embarrassing, turning a rough defeat into the kind of postgame scene that tends to linger long after the score is forgotten.
Prescott was clearly bothered by what happened and addressed it in his postgame press conference, explaining why the comment struck a nerve. For Dallas, the frustration went beyond the upset itself, spilling into a moment that put the quarterback in the middle of an unexpected confrontation and added another layer to a night the Cowboys would rather move past quickly. [Read more 🡒]
George Pickens Said What Had Him So Frustrated After Cowboys Loss
George Pickens had one of his best games of the season in the Cowboys 24-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium, finishing with nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. Even with that production, the evening ended the way too many Cowboys losses do lately, with a missed chance to turn a strong individual performance into a much-needed win.
Pickens was visibly frustrated afterward, and it was easy to see why. Dallas never managed to put together a late push strong enough to seriously threaten Tampa Bay, leaving the receiver to walk off with the kind of stat line that usually feels good and the kind of result that does not. The bigger concern for the Cowboys is how often that gap has shown up when they need a comeback most. [Read more 🡒]
Dak Prescott Debate Just Got Even Worse After Cowboys Loss
The Cowboys loss to the Buccaneers dropped them to 2-3 and only sharpened the conversation around Dak Prescott, whose uneven night fit into a debate that has followed him for years. He finished 24 of 42 for 316 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, a performance that gave Dallas plenty of offense in stretches but not enough clean play to escape Tampa Bay with a win.
Stephen A. Smith added another layer to the scrutiny on ESPNs First Take, saying Brock Purdy has been better than Prescott because of his success in the biggest moments and Prescotts limited playoff track record. For the Cowboys, it is the kind of comparison that tends to linger when the results are coming up short, and every rough outcome only makes the discussion around Prescott harder to quiet. [Read more 🡒]