NFL MVP says Dak Prescott will be replaced without NFC Championship

Dak Prescott is the highest-paid player in the NFL, and Cam Newton believes this is the year he has to prove he deserves that salary. If not, he thinks the Dallas Cowboys will move on in 2026.

Randy Gurzi | Jun 19, 2025

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on the bench against the Atlanta Falcons. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Dak Prescott is arguably the most heavily criticized quarterback in the NFL. That's already the case for whoever quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys, but the spotlight only grew when he signed a four-year, $240 million extension last season.

There's renewed hope that Prescott can finally deliver this season and silence some of the doubters thanks to the addition of George Pickens. Armed with a revamped wide receiver corps, Prescott is running out of excuses for falling short.

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He's also potentially running out of time in Dallas.

That's the feeling Cam Newton gets as the 2015 NFL MVP issued a warning to Prescott, saying: "If you do not perform this year, that door is going to close." Newton went on to say Jerry Jones will do everything he can to replace Prescott with Arch Manning if the Cowboys fall short of the NFC Championship Game this year.

"If he doesn’t deliver this year, his time in Dallas is OVER… and Jerry might already be eyeing Arch Manning" @CameronNewton says it's NFC Championship or bust for Dak 👀 pic.twitter.com/kmft9iCT2K
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) June 18, 2025

Newton's also questioning the theory that Dallas hasn't done enough to help Dak, calling the Pickens addition "mascara."

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"Dak has had well enough options. Dak has had a successful running game with [Tony] Pollard, as well as Ezekiel Elliott. Troy Aikman only had one lockdown guy, Prime. Dak Prescott had Stephon Gilmore as well as Trevon Diggs. What more do you need?"

Newton summed up his take by saying, "when the rubber meets the road, I really don't trust Dak Prescott."

There's no confirmation Manning is even entering the 2026 NFL draft and it would be crippling to the salary cap to move on from Prescott one year into his new deal. Still, Newton's point remains that Prescott eventually has to deliver when it counts.