5 Dallas Cowboys Under the Most Pressure in 2024, Including Dak Prescott and Mazi Smith

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, the pressure is always on. However, heading into 2024, the vibe around the team just feels different than in years past. With the fanbase largely scarred from almost three decades of disappointment, it’s going to take a lot for trust to be earned again.

With the spotlight massive and the expectations perhaps even higher, pressure will be palpable in Dallas this season. We analyze five Cowboys who are under the most pressure to produce this season.

5 Cowboys Facing the Most Pressure This Year

Dak Prescott

The first one is obvious. Whether he gets a new deal ahead of Week 1 or not, it’s hard to think of any person in the NFL under more pressure this season than Dak Prescott. With his ability to produce in the regular season well-documented, the only thing Prescott can do this year to win people over is to find a way to get over the hump in the playoffs.

Without sustained success against quality teams, especially in January, the narrative about Prescott as someone who comes up short will remain. Regardless of the fact he was an MVP candidate last season, all of it was undone in the eyes of the public because of another failed playoff experience.

Expectations and criticisms are oddly neck-and-neck for Prescott, setting up a situation where the only way to quiet the noise is by doing something the Cowboys haven’t been able to do since he was an infant. Fair or not, it’s his reality.

Micah Parsons

As his aforementioned teammate knows well, narratives can form quickly. The public perception of Parsons is that he fades away later in the season. Ignoring the physical nature of the position and natural wear and tear, the fact remains Parsons has a lot to prove this year, both team-wise and individually.

He is a game-breaking talent, a pass rusher at the top of the league. But with the burden of expectations for success, much like Prescott, if this team folds in the playoffs once again, Parsons will reap the same type of critique his quarterback does as the team’s defensive star who’s at his best in the regular season.

It’s odd to say, but with three consecutive 12-5 seasons under their belt, people are less concerned with what they do in the fall and more focused on playoff success. As a true playmaker and someone who wants to be a vocal leader, all eyes will be on Parsons to help them take that next step.

Mazi Smith

Unlike Prescott and Parsons, Mazi Smith is far from an established playmaker in the NFL. Smith is under pressure in 2024 simply because he is looking to prove he belongs. Smith was taken with the Cowboy’s first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and with a lackluster rookie season in the rearview, this second season looks to be a pivotal one for the former Michigan Wolverine.

Dallas needs Smith to be an impact player not only to make good on the initial investment but to improve an underwhelming run defense, too.

With new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer re-calibrating expectations for Smith in this new system, the young defensive lineman’s role is simplified to being a big body who can eat up space in the run game and allow linebackers to come downhill. It seems simple enough, but will it come to fruition?

Mike McCarthy

Any time a coach is in a lame-duck year, there is going to be added pressure. Such is the case for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who enters 2024 in the final year of his contract — one final season to prove he is deserving of his role.

As wild as that sounds for a coach who has gone 36-15 over the last three seasons, owner Jerry Jones appears to be antsy about the team’s lack of playoff success and is ready to make widespread changes if Dallas once again falls short.

McCarthy has been saying all of the right things in the media, playing down the situation any chance he gets. However, it’s real, and it has to be in the back of his mind as we head towards Week 1.

Luke Schoonmaker

Much like Smith, Luke Schoonmaker is fighting for his NFL life. The former second-round pick is also coming off a lackluster rookie season and is looking to make his presence felt on this Cowboys offense in 2024. Most likely, he won’t ever surpass starter Jake Ferguson, but without a solid second-year campaign, his standing on the roster could get dicey.

Dallas has a couple of young tight ends they feel good about in that room, including John Stephens Jr. and Brevyn Spann-Ford. If Schoonmaker has another letdown of a year, and these two continue to rise, he may find himself out of favor with the organization.

Schoonmaker has talent, and Dallas recognized that when it took him in Round 2. But he has struggled to stay healthy and contribute at a meaningful clip. His 2024 season must show legitimate steps forward if he wants to remain in the Cowboys’ long-term plans.