Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys' Dak Prescott opens up about pressure to win as he turns 30

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jul 10, 2023 5:22 PM ET

Dak Prescott may have won nearly 65 percent of his games as the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback, but he’s never led the team past the divisional round of the playoffs.

And with less than two weeks until his 30th birthday, Prescott admitted in an interview with the Cowboys’ official website that he feels the burden to win a little more as the clock winds down on his career.

"[I feel the pressure to win] 1,000 percent," Prescott said. "Just understanding injuries and what I've been throughout my career and understanding that you don't have forever to play this game. I'm blessed for every moment that I get. Just trying to take it with a sense of urgency."

Is there a greater sense of urgency for Dak Prescott & Cowboys in 2023?@RyanDLeaf speaks on Kellen Moore's exit from Dallas pic.twitter.com/7AE1YZ4YZ8
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) July 10, 2023

Heading into his eighth season, Prescott has had a rather successful career. He’s 61-33 as a starter with two Pro Bowls and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award to his name, and he’s led the Cowboys to the playoffs in four of his seven seasons.

But as he gets older, the risk of injury and diminishing skill gets higher. An argument could be made that he’s struggled with both.

Prescott missed 16 games over the last three seasons while suffering multiple injuries including a broken ankle and broken thumb. He threw a career-high 15 interceptions in 2022 after never having more than 13 in any previous season and averaged his fewest yards per game since his second year in the NFL in 2017.

But with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now in Los Angeles and head coach Mike McCarthy calling the offensive plays, Prescott told reporters in June that he feels refreshed learning a new offensive system that blends the West Coast offense with Dallas’ traditional schemes and formations—a system he believes will help him play with more youthful exuberance.

“It doesn't matter how old you are because you play this game like a kid,” Prescott said.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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