Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dak Prescott named among top quarterbacks on the hot seat in 2025

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 11:32 AM ET

Being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys always comes with a massive spotlight.

Players such as Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, who won Super Bowls during their tenure, will go down as some of the best to ever play the game. Others such as Tony Romo, will be called a failure — despite the fact that he went from an undrafted free agent to the leader of the most visible franchise in the NFL.

Dak Prescott, who is entering his 10th season in the league, should be a success story in the same breath as Romo. He went from a mid-round pick to the highest-paid player in the league. Still, he's criticized more than just about anyone in the league, evidenced by his inclusion on Mike Florio's list of quarterbacks on the hot seat.

"He’s probably not on the hot seat, because his $60 million per year contract would wreak havoc on the salary cap if the Cowboys were to cut or trade him (yes, he has a no-trade clause, but he can waive it) in 2026. The complication for the Cowboys is that his $45 million salary for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. They’re basically stuck — all because they waited too long to give him his second contract, and then waited too long to give him his third contract." — Florio, Pro Football Talk

Florio's take is a bit extreme, considering Prescott is entering the first year of his four-year extension, meaning he's under contract through the 2028 campaign. Then again, Florio listed 16 of 32 teams, so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Would the Cowboys like to Prescott him perform better in the postseason? Absolutely. That said, he's 76-46 as a starter and boasts a 213-to-82 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The worst that can be said about Prescott is that he needs to avoid injury in 2025 for his team to find success. That's a far cry from being on any type of hot seat.