Cowboys' Dak Prescott Says He Isn't Motivated By Not Being Top 10 NFL QB in ESPN Poll

Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott was not included in the top 10 of ESPN's quarterback poll for the 2025 season, but he isn't sweating it.

Prescott told ESPN's Todd Archer that he won't use his omission as motivation, as he's already driven to bounce back from his disappointing 2024 campaign in which he played only eight games before undergoing season-ending hamstring surgery.

"Motivated? That's temporary," Prescott said when asked if not being on the list motivated him. "I don't think I've ever really cared about a list. I was, what, the ninth or so guy when I was taken [in the draft]. The list changes [for] every person you ask. The list changes every year.

"With injuries, obviously the list should change," he continued. "As young, new players come in, the list is going to change. It's not something I really give weight to. I know who I am. I'm confident in who I am. It's about me just continuing to get better, healthy, and grow -- and make sure I'm the best player, quarterback and leader I can be for this team. That's the list I care about."

As he enters his 10th year in the NFL, Prescott finds motivation in other ways. He said his main focus is to try to help the Cowboys achieve the postseason success that has eluded them for the past three decades, as they haven't advanced past the Divisional Round of the playoffs since their last Super Bowl win in 1995.

While Dallas is entering a new era under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Prescott is still confident in the team's chances to contend for a title this year.

"Ten [years] in and ready to play another 10, but I want [to win] first and foremost now. And that is the urgency that I carry with just the love and passion of this game," Prescott said. "I'm not only wanting to win for myself, but wanting to win for this organization. It's been well damn long enough. … We've got to keep that at the forefront of our mind. That's why I said Tyler Smith saying [the expectation is to win a Super Bowl], Schotty saying that guy's not backing down from that. Yeah, look it in the face, look it in the eyes, and do whatever you can. When one thinks something, it's good, but when two think it, it's powerful. When we can get a hundred guys to think it, it can happen. So that's what it's about."