Just A Bulldog Minute: How Dak Prescott's Career Aligns with Predecessor
Now that former Mississippi State football quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has finished the 2023 season with his name in the MVP conversation, the arc of his career is starting to look incredibly similar to someone else who used to wear the silver and blue, Tony Romo.
Throwback to 2016 when the rookie Prescott took over after Romo suffered a preseason back injury. He has yet to relinquish the role as Prescott has been the team’s offensive leader since then.
The similarities between the two lie not only in each having an outstanding regular-season success up until the playoffs, but the history of how they came to fame is almost identical. Romo was an undrafted free agent, and Prescott was an unheralded fourth-round selection, No. 135 overall, on the final day of the 2016 NFL Draft, after the likes of Paxton Lynch. Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, Cody Kessler and Connor Cook.
Both went on to be chosen for multiple Pro Bowls and set team records.
However, what should really be focused on is the playoff record. Romo left the team at 2-4, and Prescott's currently stands at 2-5. Romo had three opportunities to advance to an NFC Championship Game similar to how Prescott's chance at a fourth try was wiped out last Sunday by the Packers 48-32 defeat.
Prescott's future looks a little brighter since age is still in his favor. Romo was 34 when he started to experience issues with his back, and Prescott will hit 31 in July.
Unfortunately, injuries are also parallel with these similar quarterbacks. Prescott has experienced serious issues that he is working off the field to make sure don’t affect his play. In 2020, he suffered a dislocated and fractured right ankle as well as a broken right thumb that forced him to miss five games in 2022.
Moving forward, the big question for Prescott doesn't appear to be his health, but rather, his contract. As of now, Prescott’s contract is $59.4 million against the 2024 salary cap going into the final year. The options after next season include extending it, making him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, or, playing out Prescott's final year, knowing they cannot use the franchise tag on him in 2025.
The Cowboys had a similar contract dilemma with Romo in 2013. They could not place the franchise tag on him, so he signed a six-year, $108 million extension taking him through 2019. This extension included $40 million in guaranteed money.
During the entirety of the regular season, Prescott reached a level at success that could not be matched in the postseason, a struggle that he and Romo share. However, Prescott knows that nothing matters if you don’t win a Super Bowl in Dallas.
