When quarterback Dak Prescott stepped in as the Dallas Cowboys' starter in 2016, he quickly earned the respect of the locker room. Looking back, former head coach Jason Garrett admits Prescott’s unforgettable debut season completely shattered his expectations.

During his appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Garrett pulled back the curtain on how a rookie quarterback earned the trust of veteran players so quickly.

"Kellen Moore gets hurt, then Tony Romo gets hurt, and he [Prescott] gets thrust into it. And we lose the first game, and then we win 11 in a row," Garrett said on the Rich Eisen Show.

In 2016, when Prescott suited up to be a full-time starter for the Boys, they lost the first regular-season game to the New York Giants. Following that loss, the team went on to win 11 straight games, ending the season with a 13–3 record and a spot in the postseason.

Garrett asked Prescott how he earned the respect of his teammates when he began his career as a rookie behind former Cowboys QB Tony Romo.

"I said, I never see you make any speech or anything like that - you're never hollering at guys, or whatever things you anticipate leaders to do," Garrett said on the Rich Eisen Show. "He [Prescott] said, 'No coach, I can't do that. The biggest thing I've tried to do is develop relationships with the guys.'"

Garrett further revealed on the show that the team loves playing with and for Prescott because he focuses on forming close bonds with his teammates rather than leading them through speeches.

The former Cowboys coach admitted that he learned a valuable lesson from Prescott's leadership, realising players are willing to follow someone who takes time to build genuine relationships.

Dak Prescott's annual retreat continues to shape the Cowboys' offseason culture

Dak Prescott's annual retreat for the 2026 offseason had "100% participation" from offensive players, with tight end Jake Ferguson, wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb all in attendance.

"[The weather was] amazing out there [in Utah]," Prescott said during the fifth anniversary of the Faith Fight Finish foundation, per Myah Taylor of the Dallas Morning News. "Obviously, the elevation made it a little tough…but that was part of it...We got on the water. We had a great time, and the workouts were almost two hours straight."

The Cowboys signal-caller had personally organized and financed the annual skill players' retreat every year, where he had also hired ex-military personnel to work on stress management and resiliency training in the past.

Prescott's offseason tradition extends beyond route-running skills, using the retreat to strengthen relationships and leadership before the Cowboys enter training camp.

Is Dak Prescott's quiet, relationship-first leadership style the ultimate blueprint for a modern QB, or do you prefer a more aggressive approach? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore