Dak Prescott knows the criticism. He's heard the talk about his 2-5 playoff record, the 30-year Super Bowl drought in Dallas, and the looming shadow of Cowboys legends who came before him. As he enters his 10th NFL season, the Cowboys quarterback isn't ducking any of it.
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"[Criticism] comes with the territory," Prescott told All City Dallas. "That comes with the $60 million. It is what it is. And if I'm sensitive to the truth, then I've got a problem with life. Nobody's more upset; nobody's more pissed; nobody's more disappointed about that than I am."
Prescott, 30, is coming off another season that ended without a deep postseason run. The Cowboys were knocked out at home in the Wild Card round by the Green Bay Packers, renewing questions about Prescott's ability to lead Dallas on a championship push. He was the MVP runner-up to Lamar Jackson in 2022 and is approaching nearly every major passing record in franchise history — but unlike Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, he doesn't have the Super Bowl ring that defines greatness in Dallas.
"I understand it's a team game, but at the end of the day, the quarterback is paid to fill in those gaps," Prescott said. "And when you're not playing well, to understand that and to bring the team back. And have I done that when I needed to? Absolutely not in those crucial times. And if I had, the record wouldn't be 2-5. That's being a realist."
Still, Prescott says his belief in himself has never wavered.
"I would bet on myself, and I'd bet on the work that I put into this thing any day," he said. "And trust me, I'd give the money I make to win and be broke. I'm not sensitive to it. It is what it is. And trust me, that's my point — nobody's more disappointed than I am about that. All that does is elevate the work that I put into this and how I approach it."
Prescott's hamstring is back to full health, and the Cowboys retooled the roster this offseason with several new weapons: wide receiver George Pickens, running backs Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders and Jaydon Blue, and right guard Tyler Booker.
Prescott made clear the motivation isn't just about legacy. It's personal.
"I want to win a championship, and be damned if it's just for my legacy or if it's for this team," he said earlier this offseason. "It's for my personal being, for my sanity. The legacy will take care of itself."
Even as outside pressure mounts, Prescott insists he's unfazed.
"What I've been through in life, [criticism] doesn't affect me," he said. "It comes with the territory. It comes with $60 million. I get to live out my dream. They get to continue to make judgments. And if that's talking negative on me, that's them. I have the pen in my hand. I'm going to work. It's being confident and knowing that I can get better."
