As ESPN's executives, coaches, and scouts ranked their top NFL quarterbacks for the 2026 season, former Detroit Lions quarterback Chase Daniel once again threw his support behind Dak Prescott after the Cowboys star cracked the top 10.

“About time Dak gets some love… There were massive stretches last year where he was playing like the best QB in the NFL,” wrote Chase Daniel on his X handle on July 13.

Under Brian Schottenheimer's guidance, Dak Prescott enjoyed a career resurgence last season, throwing for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions.

Not only that, he led the NFL with 404 completions while posting an impressive 67.3% completion rate.

He was firmly in the MVP conversation through the first half of the year, making it one of the finest seasons of his career.

"He's a true, acute progression passer," an NFL coordinator said in ESPN's piece. "There are only so many of those types. He can read the whole field, from pre- to post-snap. He's just really a good commander of the offense."

Ranked sixth, just behind Lamar Jackson (No. 5), Joe Burrow (No. 4), Matthew Stafford (No. 3), Patrick Mahomes (No. 2), and Josh Allen (No. 1), Dak Prescott has certainly made a huge jump from his 2024 performance.

While his performance was impressive last season, what held him back was his modest 177 rushing yards.

One AFC coach in ESPN's rankings noted that Prescott “can use his athleticism even more and run for first downs,” which would give him new dimensions.

Interestingly, Prescott was named ahead of Justin Herbert, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Caleb Williams in the top 10 list.

While he has been outstanding throughout his career, he has yet to win an MVP award or a Super Bowl. This year, however, Prescott is aiming to achieve both.

For Dak Prescott, the playoffs are the bare minimum

A 7-9-1 record is not something the Dallas Cowboys want to repeat this season. Heading into the 2026 campaign with a revamped defense and an improved offense, Prescott views reaching the postseason as the bare minimum.

"It s****," Prescott said, giving his opinion about not reaching the playoffs for the past two years, per Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. “Definitely. But we're pushing. That's our goal, that's a minimum.”

After the Cowboys finished last in the NFL in scoring defense and 30th in total defense last year, the front office fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and replaced him with former Philadelphia Eagles assistant Christian Parker.

Not only that, the team has made several significant offseason additions.

Having faith in the Cowboys' new defense, Prescott said they just have to push each other to reach the playoffs.

“When you have a team like this and they've done everything they have in the offseason, obviously we got to push and get better on offense, but when we know we're already improving on defense, that's the minimum. That's everybody's goal in here,” said Prescott.

They signed safety Jalen Thompson, cornerback Cobie Durant, safety P. J. Locke, and defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia to bolster the roster, particularly on defense.

Will Dak Prescott be able to cross the bridge and make it to the playoffs this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar