Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott isn't sugarcoating what's at stake this season. After missing the playoffs in 2025, Prescott made it crystal clear: a postseason berth isn't just a hope—it's the baseline.
“It (stinks), definitely,” Prescott told reporters last week, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. “But we’re pushing. That’s our goal. That’s a minimum. When you have a team like this, and they’ve done everything they have in the offseason, obviously we’ve got to push and get better on offense, but when we know we’re already improving on defense, that’s the minimum. That’s everybody’s goal in here.”
The Cowboys have been aggressive this offseason, adding defensive back Caleb Downs and bringing back wide receiver George Pickens. Those moves, combined with a roster that already featured stars like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, have raised expectations in Dallas.
But the NFC East remains one of the toughest divisions in football. The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl run, the Washington Commanders made the playoffs last season, and the New York Giants are always a threat. Prescott knows the road won't be easy.
“We’ve got to push and get better on offense,” Prescott said. “But when we know we’re already improving on defense, that’s the minimum.”
The Cowboys went 14-19-1 over the past two seasons, a far cry from the success they enjoyed earlier in Prescott's career. The 2025 season was particularly frustrating, as Dallas failed to reach the postseason for the third time in four years.
One of the players Prescott is most motivated to help is defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who has never been to the playoffs. “To hear (Williams) say he’s never been to the playoffs, that’s what you want to do it for,” Prescott said. “And that’s what I told him. I said, ‘I’ll get you the playoffs. I’m going to need you to go help us win it.’”
Dallas opens the 2026 season on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants. Prescott's health will be a key storyline after he dealt with a sore knee during minicamp, though the team has downplayed concerns.
For Prescott, the message is simple: the playoffs are no longer a dream—they're an expectation. And he's betting everything on making it happen.
