Cowboys Panic Meter Soars as Dak Prescott Enters Critical Season

The hype surrounding the Dallas Cowboys has been at an all-time high this offseason.

During their first season under head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys were focused on fixing their culture and figuring out who they wanted to be under Coach Schotty. They made strides, especially on offense as they were among the best teams in the league last year in yardage and points scored.

Defensively, however, they were a mess. Their struggles on that side of the ball led to a 7-9-1 finish and some major changes ahead of 2026. Now with first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker in control of a revamped defensive roster, the expectations are through the roof.

Of course, pressure always follows those expectations and the Cowboys are going to feel the pressure this year. That's why Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon has them near the top of the charts in his recent piece on every NFL team's panic meter.

Dallas Cowboys panic meter at dangerous levels

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Gagnon, the heightened expectations have Dallas entering the season under a microscope. He notes that they have just two playoff wins under Prescott and are coming off multiple losing campaigns. Gagnon also believes that with Prescott's age, he could be in trouble if the team doesn't reach its potential, which is why he gave them a 9/10 on his panic meter.

"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 a fantastic season which saw him throw for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. It wasn't enough to get them into the postseason and while we can point the finger to the defensive struggles, quarterbacks always get the blame (as well as the credit) for wins and losses.

Could the Cowboys actually move on from Dak Prescott?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott takes the snap at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's no question that despite his regular season success, Prescott is feeling the pressure. The real question is whether the Cowboys could move on from him if they fall short again in 2026.

Realistically, the answer to that is no.

Prescott is currently playing under a four-year, $240 million contract extension which he signed in 2024. He's under contract through the 2028 season and there's no feasible way out until the end of the 2027 season. According to Spotrac, Prescott's dead cap hit in 2027 should he be released in the offseason would be an astronomical $131.4 million as a pre-June 1 cut. As a post-June 1 release, it would still be a hit of $76 million in 2027 and $55.45 million in 2028.

That being the case, the Cowboys hitched their wagon to Prescott with this latest deal and no matter the outcome in 2026, he's their guy.

Prescott will still feel the pressure, especially as he nears his mid-30s, but Dallas will go as far as he takes them for the next several seasons.

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