“It’s football. It’s a team game,” Prescott said after the loss in Week 16. “That’s what makes this game special. It’s what makes this game unique. It’s the ultimate team game. It’s not even just about me. It’s not even just about the offense at times, right? It’s not just about the defense.
“It’s a full unit. It’s a full team effort and everybody has to play together and they have to play complementary. You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities, the situations that the game gives you, the different matchups each week presents. It’s just unfortunate.”
All true, seeing as the offense itself has sputtered at times recently, and there’s a lot to unpack as to why — e.g., another rash of offensive line injuries, some plays called that Brian Schottenheimer would like back, consistently playing from behind, etc. — and the Cowboys have plenty to discuss this offseason, and not simply (but also) regarding the future of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
One thing that needs no discussion, however, is the quarterback position in Dallas.
“I am pleased with what we have in Dak, very pleased going forward,” said owner and general manager Jerry Jones. “Nothing we’ve done so far this season gives me anything but optimism about going forward at one of the key, if not the key position.”
As important as the aforementioned numbers Prescott put up this season is the fact he’s been completely healthy throughout the campaign, having only appeared on the team’s injury report once; and only due to it having been a short week with two games in a four-day span that didn’t allow usual soreness to have subsided before practices fired up again.
Having had more than his fair share of battles with the injury bug in recent seasons, Prescott has found new life with his availability, and that, in and of itself, is a beaming bright spot that he and the Cowboys can carry into the offseason and the start of the 2026 campaign.
From there, it’s just about continuing to find ways to improve.
“It’s exciting knowing that, in Year 10, I’m playing my best,” he said. ” … I’m only going to get better, in my mind, about the way that I work and what I put into this game. It’s tough. It’s frustrating, but it’s what this business is about and that’s what makes it special.”
For Prescott, having already bluntly stated players need to play for their “pride as a man” and to be a “professional” in how they approach the final games of the season, despite there being no playoff berth to fight for, leading with action is the recipe, and not simply hurling words that aren’t attached to any.
“The work that I put into this, from last year to this year, I think you can go back to every year and there’s been improvement,” he said. “When you control the things that you can control, and you do it with a great attitude, put God first, you’re not going to question yourself. You’re not going to question your ability to accomplish something. We’re going to keep working.
“I’m going to keep working. This team is going to keep working. The organization, obviously, is going to do things in the offseason and hopefully everything is just building for us to have a better year than we did this year. And I know, for myself, and anybody that I’m leading or that’s following me, that’ll be the message.”
As noted, the Cowboys will enter the offseason with a list of questions, from free agency to current contracts to coaching decisions behind Schottenheimer, and not to mention how they’ll look to approach the 2026 NFL Draft, with some that, prior to the 2025 season, were thought to have been resolved. The most important position on the field isn’t one of them, though, so there’s at least that.
