We are at the stage of the offseason when everyone is doing their quarterback rankings, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott divides opinion unlike any other at his position.
For some, Dak is a top-10 quarterback; for others, he's bottom of the barrel, and this is despite finishing second in MVP voting in 2023. The big knock on Prescott is his playoff performances (2-5), and that is what most hold onto when placing him in rankings.
There's no denying the talent, but Prescott does need help around him to get the Cowboys back to the promised land, and for Dan Pizzuta's latest quarterback rankings for The 33rd Team, Dak comes in at No. 10 in tier two called "good quarterbacks, need help."
"Prescott is still one of the league’s best quarterbacks, so we’ll start there," Pizzuta writes. "He’s currently set for the highest cap hit in the league at $89.9 million, but that will be restructured and lowered. However, it’s unclear how much cash spending that will open up, especially with Micah Parsons due for a deal on the defensive side of the ball.
"The offense is a question mark, with Brian Schottenheimer now taking over as head coach after spending the past two years as the offensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy."
Dak's cap hit is mentioned above, but the author gets this wrong.
It is absolutely not "unclear about how much room that will open up'' if/when the build-in clause in Dak's contract is utilized, as most of the readers at CowboysCountry.com know that with a simple flick of the contract switch that cap number goes down...way down (from $90 million roughly down to $50 million).
In placing him at No. 10? Well, that puts Prescott around where many feel he should be, give or take a few positions. Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, C.J. Stroud, and Jordan Love are all in tier two as well, and you can make a case for Hurts to move up after his Super Bowl win.
But Dak will be the biggest talking point of any list, and having him at No. 10 after his 2024 season might seem high as he didn't exactly set the world on fire.
In the end, love him or hate him, Prescott is still considered one of the better quarterbacks in football despite his playoff failures. ... and given that his contract isn't escapable for the next two years, is represents the hub of the wheel of hope for contention in Dallas.
