Few teams inspire more debate than the Dallas Cowboys, and the 2026 season is no exception. Some believe they can win the NFC East and be a tough out in the playoffs, while others see another underwhelming campaign ending with a third straight missed postseason.
While players like Dak Prescott, Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, and Cobie Durant have ample playoff experience, one of Dallas' best players, Quinnen Williams, is still searching for his first taste of playoff football.
Williams recently reminded Prescott of that, which prompted a bold response from the veteran quarterback (h/t Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com).
"To hear [Quinnen Williams] say he's never been to the playoffs, that's what you want to do it for," Prescott said. "And that's what I told him. I said, 'I'll get you the playoffs. I'm going to need you to go help us win it.'"
If it's possible for a quote to have aura, this one easily meets that benchmark. While a bold statement from Prescott, it really isn't that crazy when you think about it.
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott promised to end Quinnen Williams' playoff drought
When healthy, you can pencil Prescott in for a really good to great regular season. Typically, that level of quarterback play is synonymous with making the playoffs ... as long as the defense holds up its end of the bargain, and the 2025 Cowboys did anything but that.
A 7-9-1 finish is (obviously) nothing to brag about, but it is almost impressive that Dallas won seven games, given they trotted out one of the worst defenses in franchise history every Sunday. That's not to say the offense played perfectly throughout, but it's hard to ask for more than finishing fifth in dropback EPA and eighth in rush EPA.
With the entire starting 11 returning and Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams looking to evolve the offense in Year 2 of their partnership, Prescott and Co. could be even more prolific in 2026. If the defense merely becomes functional under Christian Parker, the offense won't have to score on seemingly every possession just to keep games competitive.
In other words, the Cowboys should be in a position to win a lot of games.
A 2019 first-round pick of the New York Jets, Williams didn't even sniff the playoffs in Florham Park. During Williams' tenure (almost seven years), New York never won more than seven games and totaled a 33-75 record. That's a lot of losing for a player with an All-Pro pedigree.
Unfortunately, Williams joined the Cowboys at a low point. Even so, the team remained in playoff contention until the final month of the season, giving him a glimpse of what it's like to play meaningful football down the stretch.
Prescott's promise to Williams is a bold one, but he's oozing confidence after arguably the best season of his career. The stakes have been raised, but history says he'll hold up his end of the bargain.
He just needs everyone else around him to play at a playoff level.
Add us as a preferred source on Google