Worst possible QB kicked Cowboys’ Dak Prescott out of NFL’s ‘club superstar’

Big improvements are expected from Dak Prescott in 2023 following arguably the most disappointing year of his career as the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback.

There's little to suggest Prescott will underperform again, though.

The Cowboys gifted him a No. 2 receiver and an expected strong offensive line, and switched coordinators after another early playoff exit. While he needs to cut down on turnovers and make better decisions with the football, his INT numbers were an extreme outlier relative to his other six years as a starter.

Most Cowboys fans recognize this, but it hasn't done much to improve Prescott's stock among the general media. After looking the part of an MVP candidate in 2021 when he threw for nearly 4,500 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions with a 104.2 passer rating, Prescott took an undeniable step back.

As a result, he got the boot from NFL.com's '2023 Club Superstar." To make matters worse, Eagles star Jalen Hurts replaced him in the club.

Cowboys' Dak Prescott replaced by Jalen Hurts in 'Club Superstar'

On the plus side, CeeDee Lamb is officially a member of the club after his breakout 2022. He joins Davante Adams, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jeferson, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs and DK Metcalf as one of the top 10 receivers in the league.

Prescott, meanwhile, drops out of a loaded QB group that includes Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert and now Jalen Hurts, who's coming off a second-place finish in MVP voting.

While NFL Media writer Dan Hanzus believes Prescott can look as good as some of the best quarterbacks in the game when he's on, he (rightly) acknowledged the former fourth-round pick is no longer a spring chicken.

"When Prescott is on, as he was in the win against the Bucs in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs this past January, he can look as good as any quarterback in football. But Prescott is no longer the fresh face on the block in the franchise-quarterback game. He'll begin his eighth season as the Cowboys' QB1 this fall, and he's never made an All-Pro team or helped Dallas advanced out of the Divisional Round. He led the league in interceptions last season (15) despite missing five games to injury and hasn't shown the ability to lift an average supporting cast like the Rodgers and Mahomes of the world. Dak Prescott is a very good quarterback -- we're just done waiting for him to become a truly great one."

It's admittedly hard to push back on Hanzus' analysis.

The good news for the Cowboys is that Prescott won't have to carry an "average supporting cast" this year. It's largely overlooked that he was throwing to a lowly receiver room last year -- making the Amari Cooper trade all the more infuriating -- but 2023 will be a different story following the Brandin Cooks trade and Michael Gallup looking healthy and like the playmaker he was before his injury-riddled 2021.

Prescott wasn't given a permanent ban from Club Superstar. In fact, we feel confident he'll find himself back in the clique this time next year.

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