Will Dak Prescott’s upcoming milestone make Cowboys fans appreciate him?

Whether you think Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is amazing or not worth the money doesn’t change the statistics. The man who went from potential MVP candidate to being “in a slump” in a matter of weeks already broke franchise records this year and is set to continue to climb in the organization’s record books next year as well.

Although he undoubtedly did not end the season as well as he started it, Prescott did become the No. 4 all-time passer in Cowboys history and broke Tony Romo’s record (36) for most touchdowns in a single season (37) in 2021. His 4,449 passing yards last season helped propel him past Danny White. Prescott now only sits behind Romo, Troy Aikman, and Roger Staubach. Furthermore, the Cowboys’ QB is likely to pass Staubach and become the No.3 all-time passer for the organization within the first couple weeks of the season.

Prescott (22,083 yards) is only 617 yards behind Staubach’s record of 22,700. After securing that No. 3 spot, it will be a big leap before he can catch Aikman who sits at 32,942, or Romo who sits at 34,183.  Staubach reached his record in 127 games with Dallas, and Prescott has only played in 85 games so far in his career.

It does seem a bit unfair to compare Prescott and Staubach on a big-picture level. Staubach has five Super Bowl appearances, two rings, a Super Bowl MVP, is in the Cowboys Ring of Honor, and is a Hall of Famer. Prescott hasn’t even come close to any of that. However, that doesn’t entirely take away from the fact that surpassing this NFL legend in passing yards is a big deal.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is only 617 yards away from passing Roger Staubach’s passing-yard record.

It’s also worth noting that it’s a bit unfair to compare the quarterbacks of today to the quarterbacks of twenty years ago. The league is now incredibly pass-heavy and relies on big, play-action moments. This is proven by the stats. In the list of top-ten passers in the league, only two of them, Dan Marino and Brett Favre, have been out of the league for more than ten years. It took quarterbacks like Sammy Baugh 16 seasons to accomplish what Prescott has done in 85 games.

Right now, Prescott ranks 97th in all-time career yards. Staubach is at 94th. If Prescott has another 4,000-yard season, he will bounce all the way up to 73rd overall on the all-time list. This feat would put him on top of names like Andrew Luck, Joe Theismann, Bart Starr, and Otto Graham.

Was Prescott worth the money he earned this year? Maybe not. But when you think about all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, the Cowboys should feel lucky that they have a guy at the helm who is towards the top. He may not be Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or Patrick Mahomes caliber, but he does put up impressive numbers. Will Cowboys fans still hate Prescott when he surpasses Staubach’s record next year? What will make him good enough for Dallas fans to appreciate him as a quarterback?