Why Dak Prescott is one of the most underrated NFL players ever

The Dallas Cowboys are arguably the most visible franchise in the United States, so everything they do is magnified. That same logic applies to the performance of their quarterback. Dak Prescott’s shortcomings are often vilified in the media, but there’s a case to be made that he is one of the most underappreciated players in NFL history. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

Expectations are always sky-high for the Cowboys. Anything less than a Super Bowl is viewed as a failure. While the standard won’t change anytime soon, realistically, very few players will ever achieve this level of greatness. Downplaying the achievements of a non-Super Bowl winner could be easily done to many NFL Hall of Famers who never won a ring.

Let’s start from the beginning. Dallas selected Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He wasn’t expected to contribute that season, or potentially at all in the immediate future. That all changed when veteran starter Tony Romo suffered a back injury in the 2016 NFL preseason, which catapulted Prescott into the spotlight.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

It’s not always pretty when a rookie quarterback is thrown into the fire for Week 1 of the NFL regular season. Fans have seen many highly touted players struggle in that position, but Prescott navigated the situation with ease. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, throwing for 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 16 games.

The Cowboys finished 13-3 and earned a bye in the NFC playoffs. Dallas ended up losing a classic game in the Divisional Round at home to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, 34-31. Prescott played extremely well in that game, throwing for 302 yards and three touchdowns.

According to the NFL’s website, Dak Prescott’s 13 regular season wins as a rookie tied a league record for the most victories by a first-year signal caller in league history. He shares the distinction with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Dak Prescott isn’t viewed as a winner since he hasn’t had much playoff success, but his regular season accomplishments are difficult to gloss over. In eight previously completed campaigns, Prescott has a record of 73-41, which is a mark almost any quarterback would be thrilled to have.

While Prescott often gets criticized for not winning the big game, executives around the NFL know what he brings to the table. Sports Illustrated conducted an anonymous poll of NFL executives who ranked quarterbacks throughout the league. They ended up slotting him in at number 9, which is far from mediocre or incompetent.

Granted, the NFL game has changed significantly over the last 10-15 years, as passing has become more prevalent and arguably easier than it has ever been. With that said, Prescott has already amassed more career passing yards than greats like Terry Bradshaw and Joe Namath. Perhaps more notably, Prescott has a solid chance of finishing his career in the top 20 if he stays healthy and keeps up a 4,000 yard per season pace.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Most people wouldn’t believe that Prescott has the record for most game-winning drives in his first three NFL seasons since at least 1960. According to Football Reference, he led 14 such drives down the field in that span.

Football Reference also noted in November 2023 that Prescott was tied with Patrick Mahomes for the most 400 yard passing games since 2018. Mahomes’ playoff excellence rightfully places him in a different stratosphere, but Prescott matching him in this area is at least noteworthy.

Needless to say, there’s a ton of pressure on NFL quarterbacks, and that stress is multiplied on the main signal caller in Dallas. Many would have folded under the bright lights in Dallas from a leadership and character standpoint, but Prescott has been as consistent a personality and a leader that the NFL has seen since he got to the league.

Medium wrote, “his natural charisma, work ethic, and ability to inspire his teammates make him an invaluable asset to the Cowboys organization. Secondly, Prescott’s success is not just the result of physical talent.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has worked with some big names during his time in Dallas, especially at quarterback. Jones told Fox Sports in 2023, “Dak is so sound in his psyche, and he relies on his preparation better than anybody I’ve ever been around… he’s the best leader that I’ve ever seen at that position.”

The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz has also communicated that Prescott doesn’t get his fair share of love. He wrote, “Dak Prescott is forever underrated. Despite being constantly under the spotlight as the Cowboys’ quarterback, Prescott has quietly developed into one of the NFL’s most cerebral passers.”

As stated earlier, whatever Prescott does or doesn’t do will be highlighted to extreme degrees. Even if he never makes it to a Super Bowl, Prescott has still shown that he’s one of the game’s upper echelon players.