The Dallas Cowboys wrap up their season Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. The main storyline centers on whether quarterback Dak Prescott will play the full game or if backup Joe Milton will take snaps, amid uncertainty following an underwhelming season. The team hopes to finish strong heading into the offseason as lineup questions linger.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott To Start on Sunday, Asserts Owner Jerry Jones
Dallas, at 7-8-1, has little at stake regarding playoff seeding or draft position. The central question is whether Dak Prescott will start or yield time to Joe Milton, with owner Jerry Jones adding intrigue by commenting on the quarterback situation during a 105.3 FM (Dallas) radio appearance.
“Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said, ‘We’re gonna start Dak’ Sunday at New York. But he sounded like Prescott might not play the entire game. “How we use Dak, let’s make that part of the game plan that we won’t talk about,” Jon Machota wrote on X.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan said, “We’re gonna start Dak” Sunday at New York. But he sounded like Prescott might not play the entire game. “How we use Dak, let’s make that part of the gameplan that we won’t talk about.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 30, 2025
Prescott will make his 139th start, according to Jones. The owner did not explain why he is choosing not to sit his 32-year-old quarterback in favor of backup Joe Milton. Milton has yet to start in the NFL and, in limited appearances over two seasons, has completed 75% of his passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Although the record says otherwise, Prescott leads the league in passing yards with 4,482. He also ranks seventh in PFSN’s NFL QB Impact metric, which measures efficiency and overall production.
With Prescott at the helm, Dallas scores 25 or more points ten times, solidifying itself as a premier offense. On the other hand, the defense ranked last in points allowed. In surrendering an average of 29.8 points per game, the offense needed to win shootouts at every turn.
The comments suggest Milton could play Sunday, with Prescott potentially coming out early. Late-season reps will benefit Milton if Dallas keeps him as a backup. Prescott has missed 26 games in a decade with Dallas. The Cowboys may want to see what Milton can do with more snaps. Conventional wisdom holds that quarterbacks become less durable as they age.
After 9,234 snaps, what difference does 30 more make? The Cowboys’ opponent, the Giants, await a regime change and likely want the game to end quickly.
Many Cowboys will be playing their last game for the team. According to Spotrac, Dallas is $36.8 million over the cap. Outside of the players guarantee presence on next year’s roster, Sunday is the last chance for some of his teammates to make an impression.
