The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in offensive limbo this offseason! After a disappointing 2024 season in which they finished 7-10, there was no January football for the Cowboys this time. Mike McCarthy wasn’t brought back as head coach.
One former quarterback turned ESPN analyst recently spoke about what the team’s 2025 season hinges on.
Cowboys Need Consistency at Key Position, According to Ex-QB
Dallas headed into Week 9 of last season after a slow 3-4 start. To that point, Dak Prescott had thrown for 1,845 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He threw for 133 yards and a score before getting injured against the Atlanta Falcons, and the offense lost any juice it had.
In the shortened season, Prescott finished No. 30 in PFSN’s QB+ metric. This was the worst grade he’s ever had in PFSN’s QB+ database. He finished with a -0.05 EPA/DB (30th), a 32.1% third-down conversion rate (32nd), and 6.5 nYPA (22nd). Prescott was particularly bad from a clean pocket (0.11; 31st) but wasn’t much better when pressured (-0.40; 25th).
The offense finished No. 23 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric and had two forgettable performances to end the season with Cooper Rush at the helm. Rush was PFSN’s No. 36 quarterback last season, so the team dealt with consistently poor quarterback play in 2024.
Prescott’s rehab is trending up — and if you ask ex-NFL QB Tim Hasselbeck, the Cowboys’ 2025 season rides on No. 4’s arm.
Hasselbeck said on “NFL Live”, “It’s Dak Prescott coming off the injury. It was a major injury. [He] tore his hamstring off the bone. Had a long surgery, a long rehab. The Cowboys, when No. 4 has been their quarterback, are pretty good, at least during the regular season.”
Tim Hasselbeck says the biggest concern for the Cowboys is the health of Dak Prescott.
“They’re going to go how he goes.” 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1VomxAngpC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 3, 2025
“They’re gonna go how he goes…To me, that is the biggest factor for them. You think about the big personnel changes. George Pickens, how he integrates in their offense. If Dak is the quarterback, it’ll work out ok. With Dak not as the quarterback, then I think you can run into some headaches.”
Can Dak Prescott step up and be that dude when it counts?
How Does The 2025 Season Look For The Cowboys?
Prescott should be on track for the start of the 2025 season, and the Cowboys gave him a new weapon when they traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens. The receiver has totaled 52 receptions and 801 yards in his first three NFL seasons.
The Cowboys gave up a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for Pickens while receiving a 2027 seventh from the Steelers. CeeDee Lamb was lobbying the team for a new running mate earlier this offseason, and Pickens should pair well with the four-time Pro Bowler.
As Hasslebeck said, the biggest issue for Dallas’s offense is Prescott’s health. The team traded for Joe Milton this offseason, and he’s projected as the backup. Milton only saw action in one game last season for the New England Patriots, going 22 of 29 for 241 yards and a touchdown.
If Prescott went down again, a lot of pressure would be placed on the second-year pro.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s as a long suffering Cowboys fan and I saw the Cowboys 2025 schedule the Cowboys will have 12 loses and the Cowboys will miss the playoffs