Over the course of his 10-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott has had himself some solid campaigns, one of which came just this past year, as he put together one of his best overall seasons.
Completing 67.3 percent of his throws, the Mississippi State alum threw for 4,552 yards, ranking third in the NFL, and tossed 30 touchdown passes, ranking fourth, against only 10 interceptions en route to earning his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl.
But as every fan of America's Team knows, those numbers were effectively all for nothing, as Prescott only earned seven wins for his efforts. But Dak certainly isn't to blame for Dallas missing the playoffs for the second straight year, as everyone definitely knows why the Cowboys only earned seven wins.
Dak Prescott needs 12 wins to pass Troy Aikman for most regular-season wins by a Cowboys QB
While Prescott and the offense posted 391.9 yards and 27.7 points per game, ranking second and seventh in the league, respectively, the Dallas defense surrendered 377.0 yards and 30.1 points per contest, respectively ranking 30th and dead last in 32nd in those categories.
As such, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was fired just two days after the regular season concluded. And after a surprisingly patient search, he was replaced by Philadelphia Eagles defensive passing coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker.
Given how the last two seasons have gone, it's almost easy to forget that the Cowboys had three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023. And if Parker, who undoubtedly has a far better group of players to work with than Eberflus did, can help get Dallas back to that level, Prescott would certainly be appreciative,
It just so happens that Dak needs exactly a dozen wins to break the franchise record for most regular-season victories by a starting quarterback.
With the Cowboys' Week 7 win over the Washington Commanders last October, Prescott notched victory number 79, thus moving him past Tony Romo and into third place by himself on the franchise list. Tack on the four that followed that win, and Dak's regular-season record now stands at 83-55-1.
As you've likely already guessed, the only two now sitting in front of him are the two most legendary QBs in Cowboys history: Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. The list shakes out like this:
Cowboys QB | Reg. Season W-L | Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|
Troy Aikman | 94-71-0 | .570 |
Roger Staubach | 85-29-0 | .746 |
Dak Prescott | 83-55-1 | .601 |
As you can see, Prescott needs just three wins to surpass Staubach, and, as mentioned, a dozen wins moves him into the top spot past Aikman. Now, while getting to that top spot would obviously be an incredible individual accomplishment, earning 12 wins would obviously put Dak in the position to get what he really cares about: A Super Bowl win.
Aikman and Staubach, of course, are the only two Cowboys QBs to lift the Lombardi Trophy, with Staubach winning two titles in the 1970s and Aikman leading Dallas to three championships in the 1990s.
Once again, though, while the Dallas offense should be just as potent as it was this past year, as Javonte Williams and George Pickens are back in the saddle alongside Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, it's Parker's defense that will likely decide how America's Team fares in 2026.
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