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Prescott’s best year wasted as Milton remains a mystery

Originally posted on Inside The Star
By Richard Paolinelli | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 9:47 AM ET

In 2025, for the second time in three seasons, Dak Prescott started every game of the NFL season for the Dallas Cowboys.

It was also the second time he’d done son in the last five seasons. In 10 NFL seasons, he’s started every game in six of them.

Prior to this season, the Cowboys hadn’t finished below .500.

If you ignored the won-loss record and focused on Prescott’s numbers alone, you might have expected him to be a leading candidate for MVP.

But 7-9-1 records don’t win MVP hardware for quarterbacks in the NFL.

An Incredible Season

Prescott was 404-for-600 passing for a 67.3 completion percentage. That was his third-highest completions and highest attempts for a season.

It was his sixth-highest completion percentage.

Prescott threw for 4,552 yards in 2025. It was his second-highest only to 2019’s 4,902 yards.

His 30 touchdown passes tied for his third-highest.

Prescott threw 10 interceptions in 2025. It was the fifth time he’s reached double-digits in that category.

In six of the 17 games, Prescott threw for over 300 yards.

He only played in the first half of the season finale.

In only two of those six games did Prescott avoid throwing an interception, however.

Prescott had two four-touchdown games in 2025, both coming against the two worst defenses, the Raiders and the Jets.

In four of the games, Prescott failed to throw a touchdown. The Cowboys lost all four games.

His best game overall statistically might have come in Las Vegas.

He was 25-of-33 (75.8%) for 268 yards and the four touchdowns without throwing an interception.

Overall, it might have been his best season ever. The shame of it is that the Cowboys wasted it.

The Mysterious Mr. Milton

In 2024, the New England Patriots drafted two quarterbacks, Milton and Drake Maye. By the end of that season, New England knew which of the two was its franchise quarterback.

Milton was sent to Dallas to back up Prescott.

In his lone appearance in 2024, Milton relieved Maye after the opening series of the season finale. He was 22-of-29 (75.9%) for 241 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

Not nearly enough to know what kind of a quarterback he might become.

Milton played in four games for Dallas this year, three of them in garbage time of games that were long lost.

He relieved Prescott after halftime in the season finale against the Giants. For the year, he finished 15-of-24 (62.5%) for 183 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Milton will go into the 2026 season with a huge question mark over his head.

There simply isn’t enough of a sample to draw any firm conclusions.

The QB Room In 2026

The Cowboys have their starting quarterback in Prescott. However, he’ll carry a $74 million cap hit in 2026.

That number will likely come down as Dallas will have to restructure that down to a more livable number.

They will also have to hope Prescott can repeat in 2026 what he did in 2025.

Milton will be in the third-year of a rookie contract that pays an average of $1.13 million a year. Will they ride with Milton one more year, possibly signing a journeyman veteran to push Milton for QB2?

Or will Dallas eye a quarterback in the later rounds in April and hope to develop him?

This article first appeared on Inside The Star and was syndicated with permission.

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