Every confirmed excellent regular-season success however left lingering questions within the playoffs.
They have been teammates for one season, 2016, when the rookie Prescott took over after Romo suffered a preseason again harm. Prescott has held the job ever since.
They share a beloved underdog narrative; Romo as an undrafted free agent, Prescott as a fourth-round choose. They have been chosen for a number of Professional Bowls. They set workforce data. They used the ability of their place with “America’s Group” to develop into family names.
However neither has performed what Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman did by successful Tremendous Bowls, which ties Prescott and Romo collectively much more.
Romo had a 2-4 playoff file. Prescott’s stands at 2-5 after Sunday’s 48-32 demolition by the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the wild-card spherical.
Romo had three probabilities to advance to an NFC Championship Recreation (2007, 2009, 2014) and by no means acquired there. Prescott’s probability at a fourth strive was worn out by the Packers after missed probabilities in 2016, 2018 and 2022.
“It isn’t truthful to place all of it on Dak or Tony,” one former teammate of each mentioned. “Everybody wanted to get it performed.”
Whereas true, the Cowboys’ quarterback bears the brunt of the duty.
SINCE 1980, KEN Anderson is the one quarterback to be his workforce’s starter for extra consecutive seasons than Prescott could have in 2024 (9) earlier than going to a Tremendous Bowl for the primary time. He was in his tenth season because the Cincinnati Bengals’ starter in 1981.
Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan made their first Tremendous Bowl appearances of their ninth seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. Manning had gained two NFL MVPs earlier than attending to his first Tremendous Bowl in 2006 and needed to cope with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
“Some guys, like Troy, it does occur instantly and also you win championships,” mentioned govt vp Stephen Jones about Aikman’s first Tremendous Bowl coming in his fourth season. “[Patrick] Mahomes, guys like that, it occurs for them.
“However there’s different guys that generally it simply takes time to continue to learn the sport, maintain getting higher. Actually I feel Dak matches in that class, and I feel Tony was in that class earlier than the accidents.”
Age favors Prescott’s alternative for at the very least one other run.
Romo was 34 for his remaining probability in 2014, his final full season, with a physique that was faltering primarily due to again points that required a number of surgical procedures.
Whereas the lasting reminiscence from that 26-21 divisional spherical loss to the Packers is the overturned catch from Dez Bryant late within the fourth quarter, there was certainly one of Romo that day too. About an hour after that stinging defeat in numbing temperatures outdoors Lambeau Area, he shared an extended hug along with his household earlier than getting on the workforce bus, as if he knew he wouldn’t get a greater probability.
Prescott turns 31 in July and performed each sport this season for the primary time since 2019, whereas main the NFL in landing passes (36). Like Romo, he has suffered severe accidents, like a dislocated and fractured proper ankle in 2020, and a damaged proper thumb that compelled him to overlook 5 video games in 2022, however he believes his off-field habits have made him stronger and extra sturdy.
“You are all the time greats and what they’re doing, and also you see guys, like LeBron [James], Tom Brady, have these strategies and spend tens of millions of {dollars} on their physique every year, and also you surprise why,” Prescott mentioned. “And it is apparent after they’re taking part in so long as they performed at such a excessive stage that that is what they should do to really feel snug.”
THE BIG QUESTION for the Cowboys concerning Prescott this offseason shouldn’t be well being, however contract.
He’s about to enter the ultimate 12 months of his deal and can rely $59.4 million towards the 2024 wage cap. Dallas’ choices this offseason embrace:
- Extending Prescott’s contract, which might make him among the many highest-paid quarterbacks within the NFL however give them area to retain their very own gamers or add free brokers.
- Merely taking part in out Prescott’s remaining 12 months, understanding they can’t use the franchise tag on him in 2025, which might make him an unrestricted free agent.
- Including extra voidable years to his contract to make his 2024 cap quantity extra palatable, whereas additionally understanding they are going to add extra useless cash towards the cap in future years.
In 2013, the Cowboys confronted an analogous contractual dilemma with Romo. They might not place the franchise tag on him as a consequence of contractual language, and he signed a six-year, $108 million extension by 2019 that included $40 million in assured cash. On the time of the signing, the $18 million annual common made Romo the sixth-highest paid quarterback.
Like Romo then, Prescott now holds leverage within the negotiations — though, not like 2013, the Cowboys have a younger quarterback who intrigues them in 2021 No. 3 general choose Trey Lance, whom they acquired from the San Francisco 49ers early this season for a fourth-round draft choose. Lance, 23, didn’t take a snap this season and has 102 profession move makes an attempt.
Three years in the past, Prescott outlasted the Cowboys in contract talks, turning one 12 months of taking part in on the franchise tag right into a four-year, $160 million deal that included $126 million assured regardless of coming off the intense ankle harm. His $40 million annual common at present has him tied for tenth among the many highest-paid quarterbacks.
Proprietor and basic supervisor Jerry Jones, in addition to Stephen Jones, have mentioned they envision Prescott being the Cowboys’ starter effectively into the longer term.
However will that future embrace a Tremendous Bowl look?
JERRY JONES SAID his largest remorse as proprietor and basic supervisor shouldn’t be successful a Tremendous Bowl with Romo as quarterback. After beating the Philadelphia Eagles in December, Jones mentioned he could be “equally” disillusioned if Prescott does not get to a Tremendous Bowl.
“Dak is a participant who’s certified in each technique to have a Tremendous Bowl in his profession,” Jones mentioned then.
Romo’s greatest probability for a Tremendous Bowl run was in 2007 when the Cowboys completed 13-3 and had home-field benefit in Wade Phillips’ first season as coach. The Cowboys misplaced within the divisional spherical to the New York Giants, whom that they had overwhelmed twice within the common season and went on to win the Tremendous Bowl.
In 2014, when Romo had his greatest season, he was in his ninth 12 months because the Cowboys’ starter (eighth full season). The Cowboys went 12-4 and gained the NFC East. He threw 34 landing passes and was intercepted simply 9 occasions in 15 begins. He led the NFL in completion share (69.9%), QBR (79.2), quarterback score (113.2) and yards per try (8.5).
In 2015, Romo broke his left collarbone twice and began 4 video games. In 2016, he suffered a again harm in a preseason sport towards the Seattle Seahawks and performed one regular-season drive — a landing drive — as a result of Prescott performed so effectively. By 2017, Romo joined the CBS broadcast sales space.
“I do know deep down he felt he was at his greatest mentally when it got here to the sport, that if he was wholesome, he might play the sport in addition to he ever might,” Stephen Jones mentioned. “However well being acquired him.”
Prescott simply concluded his eighth full season because the Cowboys’ starter. Dallas went 12-5 and gained the NFC East. He led the NFL in landing passes with 36 and was intercepted 9 occasions. Amongst full-time beginning quarterbacks, he led the NFL in completion share (69.5%) and was No. 2 in QBR (72.9), quarterback score (105.9) and passing yards (4,516).
The Cowboys have been arrange for a run to the NFC Championship Recreation with two residence video games at AT&T Stadium because the No. 2 seed, solely to flail away Sunday. Prescott was intercepted twice within the first half, together with one which was returned for a landing and upped Inexperienced Bay’s result in 27-0 late within the second quarter.
FOR ALL OF his regular-season success, Prescott has not been in a position to match that stage within the postseason. It is one thing Romo didn’t do both.
That leaves the lingering query: “Why?”
“It is robust to offer you that reply once I simply went on the market and we simply did that,” Prescott mentioned. “Sadly, that is what the offseason is for — and it is a lengthy one. Yeah, I want I might offer you that reply.”
Prescott’s efficiency towards the Packers was not like any below the big-picture view of a 17-game common season.
“Dak’s arrow continues to be straight up,” Stephen Jones mentioned a couple of days earlier than the Packers loss. “I feel the most effective soccer is in entrance of him. He retains getting higher, after which he has all the opposite intangibles that go along with his ability set, which is a lot sturdy to being particular.”
However Prescott is aware of what Romo knew earlier than him: Nothing issues if you happen to do not win a Tremendous Bowl in Dallas.
“It is about successful and successful the playoffs,” Prescott mentioned after the Packers loss, “and attending to the final sport and successful that as effectively.”