Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott believes anything short of a Super Bowl would be a disappointment for the team. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith sees it differently, though, challenging the franchise signal-caller over his bold championship mindset.

During an episode of ESPN’s First Take, sportscaster Stephen A. Smith doubled down on Prescott’s “Super Bowl or bust” claim for the 2026 season, as he pointed out the Cowboys' lack of playoff success in recent years.

“So I want to hear all of this - it's Super Bowl or bust,” Stephen A. Smith said during an episode of ESPN’s First Take on July 21. “You know, how about get to a conference championship game? Could you [Dak Prescott] do that? Have you ever heard the saying ‘crawl before you walk'? Could you do that?”

Stephen A. Smith pointed to the Cowboys' nearly three-decade Super Bowl drought, noting that their last appearance in an NFC Championship game was in 1995.

The Cowboys haven't advanced past the divisional round, despite making the playoffs 18 times after the 1995 season.

Prescott himself last appeared in the playoffs in 2023, and has a 2-5 postseason record.

"Because if you crawl before you walk - crawling would be get to a divisional playoff game, which they've done a couple of times," Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN's First Take on July 21. "Get to the NFC Championship game, which you haven't done in 30 years. Could you do that? If you do that, maybe I'll take you seriously.”

The Cowboys have an all-time playoff record of 36-31, holding a 5-3 Super Bowl appearance record. But of late, these numbers have been worse.

He has had two postseason victories against the Seattle Seahawks (2018 season) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2022 season) since his NFL debut in 2016.

The team's most recent playoff appearance was against the Green Bay Packers (48-32 loss) in the 2023 NFC Wild Card, and they have missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons since then.

While Smith argues that Prescott should lead the Cowboys to a deep playoff run first, Prescott maintains that a Super Bowl remains the only acceptable goal.

Dak Prescott sets the bar high with latest Super Bowl message

Prescott enters his 11th season believing the Cowboys should measure success only by winning a Super Bowl, insisting that both players and fans must embrace a championship-or-bust mentality.

"That's the one thing I love about the Cowboys nation and being a player of the Cowboys is, it's Super Bowl or bust," Prescott said during a virtual meet-and-greet alongside Caleb Downs, per Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. "...Truthfully, that's the only reason you play this game. So absolutely, we're working every day for it…"

He expressed confidence in the team's offseason moves, such as adding Downs and hiring defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

Outside of a defense that leaked over 30 points a game last year, the offense was among the best in the league.

Prescott believes such major changes reflect the franchise's commitment to that championship mindset, giving him confidence that the team is building toward a Super Bowl run.

Do you think the Cowboys can reach a Super Bowl final this season?

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote