The Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a four-year, $160 million contract during the offseason. Only Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have a higher yearly average.
Yet, Prescott’s 69.3 passer rating in Sunday’s playoff loss to the 49ers was his fourth-lowest pass rating at AT&T Stadium in his career.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked immediately after the game and again on his radio show Friday whether he should expect more from a quarterback making $40 million a season.
Unlike Jones’ dismissal of questions about coach Mike McCarthy’s future and his open frustration with receiver Amari Cooper, Jones strongly endorsed Prescott in his appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
“Ben Franklin had a rule when he was down and low down and had to have setbacks, he took all the positives on the left side of the page and listed them, and all the negatives on the right,” Jones said, via Jori Epstein of USA Today. “If the left side was longer than the right, he walked out with a spark in his step and a smile. If the right side was longer, then he drank all day, let’s say. My point is, and I’m not trying to be any sort of way, I start right there with a big circle and a big plus.
“He has shown every time he’s ever gotten in a position, he’s shown he’s a winner in football. He has shown that every time he’s ever had a chance to. As you well know, especially at that point, it’s hard to pinpoint ‘the’ skill that makes it happen. It’s hard to pinpoint that. But Dak Prescott has the skill to make it happen. We’ve got skilled players. (Ezekiel) Elliott has the skills to make it happen. We’ve got the offensive line talent to make it happen. We’ve just got to get it right and going in the same direction.”
Prescott is a favorite for comeback player of the year, along with Joe Burrow, after returning from two surgeries on a dislocated and compound fracture of his right ankle in Week 5 of the 2020 season. He had a shoulder injury in training camp and a calf injury that kept him out one game during the season but threw for 4,449 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in winning 11 games.
Prescott is 53-32 as a starter in the regular season but 1-3 in the postseason in his career.