Dak Prescott's Status for Rest of NFL Season Revealed By Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer

Brian Schottenheimer says he isn't considering sitting Dak Prescott for Joe Milton III even if the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the regular season.

"I want to win," Schottenheimer said when asked Wednesday about potentially playing Milton if the Cowboys are mathematically eliminated from the postseason. "So, plan would be to play Dak."

Dallas' playoff odds fell to just one percent with last Sunday's Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Cowboys (6-7-1) fell out of contention for a Wild Card spot with the loss. Their only path to the postseason now involves beating out the Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) for the top of the NFC East.

Dallas will need to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers at home on Sunday, while a 4-10 Washington Commanders team missing Jayden Daniels will need to upset the Eagles, in order to keep the Cowboys' playoff hopes alive.

The Cowboys are then set to close out the 2025 season with road games at the Commanders and New York Giants.

Schottenheimer's statement against possibly starting Milton, who has made two appearances in relief of Prescott but has yet to make a start in the NFL, came the day after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in an appearance on 105.3 The Fan that winning down the stretch is "important" to him.

"A win does a lot of positive things. I don't care when it happens," Jones said Tuesday. "And we owe it to that mirror, and we owe it certainly to our fans, that we want to walk out there and be competitive.

"We will not try for a draft position. We won't be looking at anything like that. We'll be out there playing football, and we'll bring 'em to play."

Playing starters down the stretch could potentially impact the Cowboys' draft position— the franchise is currently slated to pick at No. 14 in the first round— as well as the health of Prescott in the first year of his four-year, $240 million contract.

After sitting out the last nine games of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury, Prescott has returned to start all 14 games for the Cowboys so far this season.

During that stretch he leads the NFL in both pass attempts (522) and passing yards (3,931).

Should the Cowboys be pushed officially out of the playoff picture, making sure Prescott is healthy for the start of the 2026 season will be key to the team's hopes of returning to postseason contention next winter.

Schottenheimer's apparent plan to play Prescott regardless of the team's playoff hopes could indicate other Cowboys stars like CeeDee Lamb will also remain in the lineup for the final games of the season.

That might mean Lamb, who is heading into Week 16 with 976 receiving yards, will have enough time to pass the 1,000-yard threshold for the fifth consecutive season.

The Cowboys' slim playoff hopes will be on the line when Prescott and Lamb kick off Week 16 in Arlington on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.