The Dallas Cowboys moved on from four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo in favor of Dak Prescott in 2016. Has the move paid off as intended?
Romo was often criticized for not being able to return the Cowboys franchise back to the glory days of the 1990s. Meanwhile, Prescott hasn’t won a Super Bowl during his tenure, so let’s compare their Dallas stints up to this point.
Prescott's career started off on a blazing trajectory. He won Rookie of the Year in his rookie season, finished sixth in MVP voting, and was a Pro Bowler. He's made the Pro Bowl twice in the seven seasons since then.
Last year, Prescott had arguably the best season of his career from a statistical standpoint. He was named a second-team All-Pro for the first time in his career after throwing for over 4,500 yards, 36 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, posting a 105.9 passer rating in the regular season and finishing No. 2 in MVP voting, yet America's quarterback still faces criticism.
On the other hand, Romo never finished in the top two in MVP voting and, as an individual performer, has arguably been outshined by Prescott when comparing each of their first eight seasons since starting.
According to each of the Cowboys per 17-game stats, Prescott would have averaged a 30-touchdown to 11 interception ratio, 4,393 passing yards per season, a completion percentage of 67, and a passer rating of 99.
As for Romo, he would have averaged a 31-touchdown to-15-interception ratio, 4,409 passing yards per season, a completion percentage of 64.6, and a passer rating of 95.8.
What matters most when comparing the Dallas signal callers is the team's success, though. Romo's record was 63-45, while Prescott's era in Dallas has gone 73-41, making the playoffs five times, while Romo only went three times in his first eight seasons.
Overall, this research shows just how well Prescott has performed despite some harsh outside narratives suggesting that he isn't worth re-signing to an extension.
Dak has been a great Cowboy, and even though he's failed to make a Super Bowl so far in his career, it's hard to think of another available option that could realistically improve Dallas any more than the reigning MVP runner-up, who has already outgrown the shoes of Romo, America's previous quarterback.
More must-reads: