The Dallas Cowboys have begun their OTAs with a main focus on their quarterback, Dak Prescott, ahead of the season. And the quarterback still needs to improve in certain areas. 

"According to Warren Sharp, Prescott was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league inside the red zone during the 2025 season," Randy Gurzi wrote on SI May 28.

Prescott had an EPA of -0.11 in the red zone. Just six other QBs had a worse EPA than him.

Apart from him, several top quarterbacks also ranked poorly in red-zone EPA last season. Lamar Jackson topped the list (-0.53), Joe Burrow was fourth (-0.15), Patrick Mahomes was sixth (-0.13), and Caleb Williams was eighth (-0.10).

While approaching the red zone, Prescott faced major issues. His completion percentage inside the 20-yard line was 55.56 percent, which was at 67.3 percent generally.

He had 21 of his touchdowns from there, but three of his 10 interceptions were from inside the 20-yard line.

Prescott showcased one of his best performances last season. He threw for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions.

Improving his red-zone efficiency will be a major focus heading into 2026. However, the Cowboys still view Prescott as the player capable of leading them back to playoff contention. 

Cowboys Star Still Viewed as Potential MVP Candidate 

With his last season’s performance, the Cowboys will hope that he continues the same performance. He threw for more than 300 yards in seven games last season, and he topped 350 yards in three of those contests.

According to ESPN, they predicted that Prescott could become an MVP candidate in reaching a major passing record this season. 

“Prescott’s incredible 2025 campaign was overlooked due to his team’s lackluster defense, but I felt he was actually the second-most valuable player in the league last season [and ahead of Matthew Stafford],” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote.

“If he plays the same way, and the Cowboys’ defense can be even just mediocre, Prescott will be an MVP candidate."

If Prescott can improve his efficiency inside the red zone while maintaining last season's form, he could not only put Dallas back in playoff contention but also enter the MVP conversation.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore