The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up for their first season under a brand new coach in Brian Schottenheimer. This time around, they’re hoping to get through the season without their franchise quarterback, Dak Prescott, getting injured, too.
Prescott injured his hamstring when the Cowboys were taking on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 on Nov. 3, 2024, and that injury ended his season with the team. But, one NFL analyst thinks Prescott’s season with the Cowboys might be cut short in 2025, and not because of an injury.
This reporter, however, doesn’t agree, and here’s why.
Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott
Prescott has been the Cowboys’ starting quarterback since his rookie year in 2016. Now, the 32-year-old will make $50 million in 2025, linked to his four-year, $240 million extension.
The season is still a few months away, but Alex Kay from Bleacher Report isn’t wasting any time analyzing the current quarterback situation in the NFL. In a June 3 feature for Bleacher Report, Kay names five NFL quarterbacks who he believes could get benched in 2025. “Clubs that have it tend to do whatever they can to hang onto it—evidenced by the blockbuster contracts that have been handed out to upper-echelon starters in recent years—while those that lack it tend to make finding some a top priority in the offseason,” he states.
Kay adds that these players are guys who are “currently penciled in as starters” but “have a realistic chance to be benched during the 2025 NFL season.”
Kay names Prescott on his tally of signal-callers in trouble. In the feature, he says that “Prescott might be on the hot seat if his partnership with new head coach Brian Schottenheimer doesn’t improve in short order.”
Prescott was sidelined last season with an injury, and he has confirmed that he’s almost totally recovered from the injury and healthy enough to get back in the game. But, Kay says that “it remains to be seen if the ailment will impact a skill set that displayed a significant decline last year.”
The Real Reason NFL Expert Thinks Dak Prescott Could Get Benched
But, aside from the injury, the real reason Kay thinks Prescott could get benched “is the presence of Joe Milton III, who the Cowboys traded for earlier this offseason.”
Honestly, this seems like a stretch. Last season, the Cowboys had Cooper Rush as their No. 2 quarterback, who was so capable that the Ravens stole him away, and the Cowboys didn’t turn to Rush until Prescott was injured.
Regardless, Kay says that Milton “is one of the more intriguing young backups in the league and impressed heavily during his rookie training camp with the New England Patriots. While his presence could light a fire under Prescott, it could also spell the end of his longstanding tenure as the Dallas starter.”
Kay adds that the Cowboys could do what the Broncos did with Russell Wilson “and simply eat plenty of dead money to part ways early if necessary.”
Personally, this reporter believes that if Prescott is healthy again, seeing him benched would be a shocker. He’s also worked for years with Schottenheimer, so the new coach knows what he’s getting in Prescott.
So, the idea of the Cowboys benching Prescott this season just doesn’t add up. Sure, it’s interesting to think about, but money talks, and the Cowboys have made it clear that they’re putting their resources and trust in Prescott for the foreseeable future.
