Dak Prescott was an MVP candidate during the 2023 season, leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 12-5 record. But the 2024 season was certainly not one of his best as the Cowboys got off to a 3-5 start and Prescott did not play particularly well. Prescott had his moments last season (comeback win versus Pittsburgh, etc.), but he just wasn’t nearly as effective as he had been in the previous year.
It’s not all his fault as the offensive line took a major step backward and he didn’t have a viable No. 2 receiver. The defense got off to an incredibly slow start, and that forced Prescott and the offense to press. However, it’s okay to admit that Prescott needed to play better.
But the good news is that everything is setting up for Prescott to have a career year in Dallas. The addition of George Pickens, along with the selection of Tyler Booker, should have the offense ready to roll right away. The Cowboys are hopeful that the run game will improve this year, and that should help take some of the work off Prescott’s plate.
In a recent article by Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus, he named a player from all 32 teams who is poised to have a bounce-back season this year. That list included none other than Dak Prescott.
Cowboys need Dak Prescott to have a bounce-back season in 2025
Here is what he had to say about the league’s highest-paid quarterback going into the 2025 season:
"A bounce-back from Dak Prescott could signal a return to the postseason for Dallas in 2025. After earning a career-high 90.0 PFF grade and finishing second in NFL MVP voting in 2023, Prescott followed it up with a career-worst 67.2 passing grade last season. The Cowboys’ lack of offensive balance and wide receiver depth played a role, but Prescott also posted a career-high 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate. With improved health and the additions of Tyler Booker and George Pickens, Prescott will have every opportunity to return to form in 2025."
Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus
The addition of Pickens will finally give the Cowboys another outside receiver with CeeDee Lamb, who can beat single coverage.
Read more:Cowboys sidestep disaster after rumored target suffers familiar setback
Pickens is a flawed player, but he is one of the league’s best deep threats, and his natural ability is off the charts. If Pickens can stay focused for the 2025 season, there is no reason why he can’t be a 1,100-yard receiver and score double-digit touchdowns in this offense.
But the most important thing for the Cowboys this season is that Prescott needs to stay healthy. He’s dealt with several injuries over the last few years and has missed a good chunk of time in three of the last five seasons.
The Cowboys have no chance to make the playoffs if Prescott were to miss time again, and when he’s on the field, they need him to get back to the level we saw during the 2021-2023 seasons. If he can do that, Prescott and the Cowboys should be right back in the postseason.
If not, it’s going to be another long offseason with even more questions surrounding the leader of the team.