The Dallas Cowboys have long been a popular target around the NFL. Once proudly hailed as America’s Team, they haven’t returned to the heights that made them a powerhouse during the early decades of the Super Bowl era.
In particular, they’ve become a frequent punching bag for ESPN’s lead voice, Stephen A. Smith. A vocal critic of the Cowboys, Smith has made a career out of mocking Jerry Jones and company.
As minicamps wrapped up, his latest target was quarterback Dak Prescott, whose career the sports analyst harshly criticized.
Dak Prescott Eviscerated By Stephen A. Smith
After a five-year career at Mississippi State, Prescott wasn’t a highly touted draft pick, going in the fourth round to the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. While seen as a backup option for Dallas, a vertebral compression fracture to starter Tony Romo gave him the starting job.
Immediately, he exploded to lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 record, while winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in the process, as he set the NFL record for passer rating (104.9) and wins (tied at 13) for a rookie.
During his eight-year career, Prescott has become a very reliable weapon for Dallas, earning three Pro Bowl and one All-Pro selection, including an MVP-caliber year in 2023. But the question mark for him and the Cowboys as a whole has been the postseason.
Through five playoff appearances, he’s compiled just two victories against five losses, with his statistics failing to impress. As a result, Smith, the host of First Take on ESPN, took Prescott’s latest comments with a grain of salt.
“It’s a matter of fact that this is a man that’s been in the league for 10 years. He has two playoff wins. Two.” For Smith, the biggest issue with the quarterback is his inability to point the finger at himself, especially after signing a contract that made him the highest-paid QB in league history.
“The man gets treated like a Champion,” Smith addressed the core issue. “Do you realize you have to win three playoff games in a season in order to go to a Super Bowl or win a Super Bowl championship? And the man has won two in 10 years.”
To summarize, Smith termed his playoff failures as underachieving, both due to the contracts he’s received and the market he’s in. Last year, an injury limited the former Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner to just eight games.
During a press conference after the minicamp, Prescott said he needed to win a championship for his sanity, instead of focusing on his legacy.
But with a legitimate one-two punch in the receiving group with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, Prescott has a chance to put up incredible numbers this season. However, his real test is going to begin in January, if the Cowboys make it that far.