Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cowboys 'bounce-back candidate' is the team's most important player

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated May 28, 2025 8:57 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys had an underwhelming 2024 campaign, so they're hoping to turn things around for the 2025 NFL season with a revamped and healthy roster.

Among the many players to suffer season-ending injuries last season was star quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a partial hamstring avulsion in the team's Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in November.

Prescott will be healthy for the 2025 season and, because of that, he has been named a "bounce-back candidate" for the Cowboys.

PFF put together a list of bounce-back candidates for all 32 teams and Prescott topped the list in Dallas. Citing his health and added weapons, Prescott was the clear choice for the title.

"A bounce-back from Dak Prescott could signal a return to the postseason for Dallas in 2025. After earning a career-high 90.0 PFF grade and finishing second in NFL MVP voting in 2023, Prescott followed it up with a career-worst 67.2 passing grade last season," PFF's Dalton Wasserman wrote.

"The Cowboys’ lack of offensive balance and wide receiver depth played a role, but Prescott also posted a career-high 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate. With improved health and the additions of Tyler Booker and George Pickens, Prescott will have every opportunity to return to form in 2025."

It's hard to argue with that.

Before Prescott's injury, he was having one of the worst seasons of his professional career. While there is no telling when Prescott will be back to his MVP-caliber form, fans will hope he's at 100 percent right out of the gate with a trip to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 1 kicking off the season.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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