Cowboys fans are furious over Dak Prescott's tone-deaf comment on playoff loss

As expected, the Dallas Cowboys' annual state of the union press conference to kick off training camp was an absolute circus show. Jerry Jones made myriad bogus excuses for why Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb remain unsigned and Stephen Jones inexplicably aired Lamb's dirty laundry.

It's anyone's guess if Prescott or Lamb will sign first. While the Cowboys are reportedly in talks with both players, there's seemingly been zero movement at the negotiation table. Despite that, Jerry Jones exuded confidence that the 2024 season won't be Prescott's last with Dallas.

Prescott admirably pushed back on Jones. While the 30-year-old wants to continue his career with the Cowboys, he noted that a slew of great QBs have played for multiple teams and he refused to commit to the franchise beyond this year.

It's rare that Prescott doesn't posture to the media, so it was cool to see. However, he might have gotten carried away when he was asked about Cowboys fans who are still frustrated with the playoff loss to the Packers in January.

Dak Prescott sends wrong message to Cowboys fans about playoff loss to Packers

“Be fans or don’t be fans,” Prescott said, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. “If you’re a fan you’re going to turn the page just as we do. You’re going to move forward understanding that you’ve got better ahead of you. I just talked about being present and being in the now and that’s in your beliefs that’s whoever you’re believing in. That’s how you see your family, your friends, your favorite team.”

While Prescott and the Cowboys have no choice but to turn the page, asking fans to move on is completely tone-deaf. Prescott shouldn't be blamed for Dallas' long-standing playoff failures that are approaching 30 years, but he's only been here for eight seasons.

Many Cowboys fans have been around longer. Some have even been around since 1995, which marks the last time the team made the NFC title game. Fans have had to watch early playoff exit after early playoff exit only for the front office to spend the bare minimum in the offseason to get over the hump.

Again, that isn't Prescott's burden to carry. But asking fans to bury their frustration sends the wrong message. The playoff loss was heartbreaking. The Cowboys didn't show up and were run out of their own building as heavy favorites over a 9-8 Packers team. The loss was bad enough, but the front office did nothing about it in the offseason. It's completely understandable if folks are still mad.

In Prescott's defense, he was asked to send a message to Cowboys fans. He didn't tell them how to behave unprompted. However, there isn't a wrong way to be a fan. And for a fan base that has been as tortured as Cowboys Nation over the last 28 years (!), frustration makes total sense.

Prescott knows that, which is exactly why his answer is so shocking. He's mastered the art of PR speech, so Cowboys fans should let him off the hook for one slip-up, as tone-deaf as it was.

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