Cowboys' McCarthy: Dak Prescott 'Definitely Has' MVP Feeling Similar to Aaron Rodgers

A year ago, fan opinions about Dak Prescott reached such a nadir that some were looking to have him replaced with Cooper Rush.

Now, he's an MVP candidate leading one of the NFL's best offenses.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy compared Prescott's performance of late to Aaron Rodgers, who McCarthy coached to two MVPs in Green Bay.

"I mean Aaron had a number of stretches that he went on, and MVP seasons, and all that, but yeah, this definitely has that type of feeling," McCarthy said, per Todd Archer of ESPN.

DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Prescott listed at +700 to win the NFL MVP, behind only Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. It's been a shocking turnaround from a dreadful 2022 season that saw Prescott lead the NFL in interceptions and a slow start to 2023 that saw him throw only six touchdowns in the Cowboys' first six games.

Over the last five games, Prescott has been arguably the best quarterback in football. He's thrown for 1,602 yards and 17 touchdowns against two interceptions over that timeframe, leading the Cowboys to four double-digit wins and one narrow loss against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"It means I'm playing well," Prescott said of entering the MVP conversation. "Simple as that. I'm about one goal—and it's a big team goal—and I know if my name's in there, that means we're playing well. So that's great. But at the end of the day, we're just trying to build. I mean being eight years into this thing, it's about building and building, and making sure we're getting better and better each and every week, and getting hot right when we need to be."

The Cowboys are entering a stretch of games that will make or break Prescott's MVP case. Four of their next five games are against teams that would currently make the playoffs, starting with Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The lone exception in that stretch is a trip to play the Buffalo Bills, a team that's far more talented than its 6-6 record.

If Prescott gets the Cowboys through that gauntlet and continues his high level of individual performance, he might be undeniable as the MVP.