Despite back-to-back playoff misses, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott isn't lowering the bar, as he remains convinced that both he and the team are capable of reaching the standard he has set.

During the training camp press conference on July 30, the franchise signal-caller said that he didn't want to “shy away” from the standard set for himself as he enters his 11th season with a playoff record of 2-5.

"Playing in this organization, being in it for 10 years, going into year 11, I'm not gonna shy away from [Super Bowl talk],” Prescott said, per Patrick Walker of DallasCowboys.com. “It s**** when you don't get to play for it, when you're watching other teams play in the playoffs. There's nothing worse than that.”

Prescott further explained that he has always believed in speaking about his goals into existence, a mindset he is carrying into the 2026 season while reflecting on his journey to the NFL.

“I said I wanted to be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys when I was six years old, and said I'd be in the NFL, and I got here,” Prescott said of manifesting his life, per Patrick Walker of DallasCowboys.com. "A lot of things in my life, I said I'd do, and I did it. So why shy away from that now? Why should I shy away from asking people to hold me to the same standard that I believe that I can accomplish, and that this team can accomplish?"

The Cowboys had a disappointing finish with a 7-9-1 record, where they ranked near the bottom in total defense (No. 30) after allowing 30.1 points per game (franchise-worst 511 points) in the 2025 season.

In response, the Cowboys selected five defensive players in the draft, headlined by safety Caleb Downs. They also signed pass rusher Rashan Gary, safety Jalen Thompson, cornerback Cobie Durant and linebacker Dee Winters through trade and free agency.

Prescott believes the defensive overhaul has put the team in a position to contend, and that belief was also reinforced by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' urgency to do whatever it takes to maximize the franchise's Super Bowl window.

Dak Prescott backs Jones' aggressive Cowboys strategy

During the training camp press conference on July 28, Jones declared that he is willing to sacrifice future assets to strengthen the current roster, a win-now approach that Prescott praised.

"[The moves help] make sure you're giving this team everything you can, because when the owner's doing it, it's going from the top to the bottom," Prescott said, per Walker of DallasCowboys.com in the same article. "But what are we really promised? Whether it's [football] or whether it's life. Why not now?"

Prescott believes that Jones' approach reflects the franchise's commitment to winning now rather than relying primarily on the NFL Draft and preserving future assets.

With Jones and Prescott aligned in their "Super Bowl or bust" mentality, the Cowboys are making it clear that ending the franchise's 30-year Super Bowl drought is the only goal that matters in 2026.

Do you think Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have what it takes to end their 30-year Super Bowl drought in 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore