The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2026 season after missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons with Super Bowl aspirations. But quarterback Dak Prescott is not shying away from keeping such lofty expectations.

On the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams on August 14, Adams asked Prescott about the reason for his “spicy” mindset during the offseason, as the four-time Pro Bowler has been vocal about his goals this year and setting the standard for the team. 

“I think I’m just truly being a little bit more of myself,” Prescott said during his interview on the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams on August 14. “I think anybody who knows me or has been around me would say I’ve probably always been that way.”

Prescott enters his 11th season with the Cowboys with a 2-5 playoff record since his 2016 NFL debut. The QB said that age and fatherhood have given him a different perspective, making him more open about showing his emotions.

“And I think just getting older, having daughters, you’re not shy or even hesitant to hold back any feelings, any emotions,” Prescott said during his interview on the Up and Adams show on August 14. “So I think it’s a way that I’ve always been, maybe not always in front of the camera.”

The Cowboys last played in the playoffs in the 2023 NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers (48-32). In 2025, they ranked near the bottom of the league on defense (No. 30), allowing 30.1 points per game and finishing with a 7-9-1 record.

Now, Prescott believes the team has what it takes to be a Super Bowl-caliber team, especially after significantly revamping its defense during the offseason.

Dak Prescott’s “Super Bowl LXI” mindset shows Cowboys are thinking big in 2026

Prescott revealed during the same interview that he labels his alarm as “Super Bowl LXI” and believes that manifesting his goals by being loud about it boosts his confidence for the 2026 season.

“Yeah, I mean a lot of things, just personally,” Prescott said during the same interview. “Just the words. Seeing it, putting it up. Whether it’s the alarm clocks or just different times for myself. It’s not only me.”

He said the whole Dallas team does it in different ways. He pointed to how the defensive unit breaks down its strategy during the huddle while also being loud about its goals to land the Lombardi Trophy this year.

“We break down the huddle, and to hear guys like Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, to hear them even speak about it, to hear them break down the team and use those words, just lets you know that I’m not just trying to manifest it myself,” Prescott said. “It’s an energy about what the players feel, an energy about the organization.”

With Prescott embracing a more outspoken mindset, the Cowboys will hope his confidence can translate into postseason success and end their 30-year-long Super Bowl drought.

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