Dallas Cowboys: Jon Kitna on why it’s challenging to coach Dak Prescott
New Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach Jon Kitna explains how it can be challenging to coach a player with the mindset of Dak Prescott.
During his first three seasons in the NFL, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has far exceeded expectations. Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Prescott shocked the sporting world as a rookie, dethroning starter Tony Romo on the way to winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and receiving his first of two Pro Bowl nominations.
Beyond the personal accolades, Prescott has led the Cowboys to three-straight winning seasons, two divisional crowns and two postseason victories. Those are all reasons the 25-year old is on the precipice of receiving a contract extension that will make him one of the highest paid players in the entire NFL.
Despite his achievements, many believe the fourth-year quarterback still has much to improve, specifically when it comes to his passing accuracy. It’s certainly one of the reasons the Cowboys hired former backup quarterback Jon Kitna to become the team’s new quarterbacks coach this offseason with the promotion of his predecessor, Kellen Moore, to offensive coordinator.
In Kitna, Prescott has 17 years of NFL experience to glean from. It’s a veteran voice that seems to already be paying dividends as Dak reportedly just had his best offseason ever as a member of America’s Team.
Kitna says Prescott’s mindset is to be his best self all the time, whether that be in the weight room, during every practice or in every quarterback meeting. And it’s a mindset the longtime veteran says not many have. But Kitna also explained during an interview that appeared on the Dallas Cowboys official YouTube site recently that coaching a player with that mindset can be challenging.
"” … it’s a unique mindset that very few people have. It’s fun to coach that. It’s also challenging to coach that cause you know you better have something every day for him cause he’s not just going to ‘oh okay’, take it easy. ‘What are we doing? What’s this for?’ And those are great things. That’s a great mindset that he has.”"
Despite being a Day Three selection, many agreed that Prescott was a first rounder when it came to his intangibles like leadership, work ethic and character. That has proven out to be true through his first three seasons in Dallas and is what will likely allow him to reach the next level of his development.
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So far, the addition of Jon Kitna as the Dallas Cowboys’ new quarterback coach appears to be a home run. The true test will be how Dak Prescott performs in Kellen Moore’s new offensive scheme come September. But the Cowboys spent the offseason building Prescott’s supporting cast. And combined with the anticipated return of veterans like All-Pro center Travis Frederick and future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten, the young quarterback is set up to have a breakthrough performance in 2019.