Cowboys' Dak Prescott Praised by NFL Exec: 'Been a Top-10 QB... I'm Not Down on Him'

Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott actually rose in a poll of the NFL's top quarterbacks by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler despite having a down season by his usual standards.

The two-time Pro Bowler moved up from 10th to ninth.

"He's been a top-10 quarterback for a few years now," an AFC executive said to Fowler. "Part of his game that was so great was the ability to run the ball and throw more play-action off that. They didn't have that as much with weapons on [the] outside. But I'm not down on him. He's accurate, he can extend and make plays. He's elite in his decision-making."

Despite missing five games due to a hand injury, Prescott threw an NFL-high 15 interceptions. His 238.3 passing yards per game were also his fewest since 2017.

The excitement generated by Dallas' NFC Wild Card Round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was canceled out by the team's dispiriting defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. Prescott went 23-of-37 for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, with the offense as a whole gaining just 282 yards.

The Cowboys' inability to get over the hump in the playoffs certainly predates Prescott. Their last title was nearly 30 years ago (1995).

But the loss to the 49ers once again raised questions about whether the 29-year-old is the guy who end the Super Bowl drought.

When it comes to his turnover problems at least, Prescott is optimistic the 2023 season won't be more of the same.

"I know who I am, and you can go back and take away half of those off drops," he said to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Gabriel Trevino. "I'm not saying it's on the receiver, but if you cut that in half then we start talking about those, nobody is talking about it."

A new offensive coordinator (Brian Schottenheimer) might help yield different results, too.

Beyond how it will help Dallas achieve its championship ambitions, Prescott's production will be important toward cementing his value considering he's due to hit free agency in 2025.