Dak Prescott explains facing uncertainty ahead of Cowboys' season finale

The Dallas Cowboys are closing in on their final game of the 2025-26 NFL regular season. Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants might not matter as far as the postseason, but Dallas can still finish 8-8-1, a .500 record.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has already confirmed that star quarterback Dak Prescott will start against the Giants. Prescott is set to play in all 17 games after missing the back half of last season due to a hamstring injury.

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In his tenth season with the Cowboys, Prescott is leading the league in passing yards heading into the last week. With a 34-yard advantage on Los Angeles Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford, if Prescott can hold on, he'll win the passing crown for the first time.

That means there are certainly some implications on the line. However, it's unclear if Prescott will play the entire game. Regardless, he's trying not to change his approach, even if the decision could be unpopular with fantasy owners.

Dak Prescott Doesn't Want To Know When Or If Cowboys Plan To Pull Him On Sunday

Prescott explained his mindset in the face of uncertainty. He'd rather focus on playing his game rather than knowing when or if the Cowboys plan to pull him against the Giants.

"To some extent, I'd be lying if I say it's not exactly the same [not knowing how much he'll play]. No, there's a little bit to it, and it's more of just like, win. So, for me it's about going out there and planning to play the whole game, just stick to the way that I play the game," Prescott said, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

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"I'm not going to try to do too much early and make some big plays, so I can get out of the game," Prescott added. "And if he [Schottenheimer] said two touchdowns, or three touchdowns, or this score, you're coming out, that may put a little bit of pressure, right? On me trying to do that, but me not knowing when it is and if it is, just going to play my game and be smart."

In the event Prescott doesn't finish the contest, backup quarterback and second-year pro Joe Milton would take over the reins of the offense. The Cowboys traded for Milton in April. In three appearances, he's completed 8-of-11 passes for 110 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding one rush for seven yards. Prescott wants to see Milton show off the growth he's made in practice throughout the season.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott reacts after a play against the New York Giants during overtime at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"Just command from the moment he takes the field. Just him commanding the huddle," Prescott said. "All the pre-snap, everything, just want to be super clean pre-snap and just come out of this game happy with the performance that he put on from himself."

"I think if he plays the mental side of the game, he's locked in, has all of his checks, he's been doing great in all of his reads, and he's been developing all year long, so I know he's going to go out there and have a great game," Prescott continued. "I just want him to be happy with his performance."

In 16 appearances, Prescott has completed 397-of-589 passes for 4,482 yards with 30 touchdowns to ten interceptions. He's added 51 rushes for 178 yards and two more scores.

The Cowboys and Giants will meet on Sunday, January 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.

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