Brian Schottenheimer has spent 30 years in the NFL coaching legends like Brett Favre and Andrew Luck, so he knows a great quarterback when he sees one. But on Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys head coach shared a comparison that really got people talking. While chatting with Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show, Schottenheimer put Dak Prescott in the same bracket as Drew Brees. 

“Drew Brees was one of the first guys I coached. He and I became very close… And I’ve always said, man, Drew Brees is one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever been around. And then I met Dak. And they’re on the same level. And I think that’s a compliment to both guys,” he said.

That is a massive statement coming from him. Schottenheimer coached Brees back in their San Diego days. According to the head coach, Brees was always the gold standard for leadership until he met Dak. He noted that both men operate on a completely different level than most players.

It isn’t just a coach talk either. The stats certainly validate the reason why Schottenheimer rates his quarterback so highly. By the end of the 2025-26 season, Dak has surpassed Tony Romo to become the team’s all-time passing yards leader. He has accumulated close to 36,000 passing yards and more than 240 touchdowns in ten seasons with the team.

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Furthermore, he has the lowest percentage of bad throws at 10%, which makes him better than some of the other top quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts. He has been the engine behind the Cowboys’ recent success. During the 2025 campaign in 17 starts, he finished with 4,552 yards while recording 30 touchdowns.

On the other hand, Brees has recorded 80,358 yards with 571 touchdowns and 243 interceptions in his 20-year NFL career. Talking about his leadership, former quarterback Chase Daniel also once reflected on his early days with the New Orleans Saints, when he entered the league in 2009 as an undrafted rookie near the end of training camp. At just 22, he was surrounded by veteran Mark Brunell and franchise signal-caller Drew Brees. He was clearly the young and inexperienced face in the room.

Brees took him under his wing right away, and Daniel quickly realized that his approach to film study and preparation was just scratching the surface of what Brees was thinking. In fact, Brees even went so far as to solicit Daniel’s thoughts on the red zone offense in a film session leading up to the season opener.

The next thing Daniel knew, Brees was jokingly telling him to pick up coffee and donuts on Fridays. There was a part of him, however, that knew Brees was still thinking about how to be more detail-oriented in all aspects of his game. It was this kind of approach over five seasons with Brees that Schottenheimer believes was part of Brees’ leadership.

About Prescott, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted last year, “Time and time again, he is the best leader that I’ve been around for a team. He just has a natural sense of what the situation calls for. He’s had it since he walked through the door. So many of the good things that he’s been a part of have to do with that skill right there. He brings a certain confidence out there. You know you got a guy that he can have a bad series, he can have a bad quarter, but you know you got a guy that’ll come out there and just completely erase it from his mind and really be as aggressive as it calls for.”

Since buying the team in 1989, Jerry Jones has seen many great players come through the building, but Prescott is clearly distinguished in the owner’s eyes. That’s the reason his leadership has been praised by the owner and head coach.

Last year’s performance made people think that Prescott’s name would be in the MVP conversation, but it depended on how the season would unfold. But as the games progressed, luck didn’t seem to be in the Cowboys’ favor. Dallas finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season as they lost four of their last five games.

But regardless of what Schottenheimer thinks, growth extends beyond the box scores.

Brian Schottenheimer supports Prescott through personal troubles

It looks like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos won’t be making it to the altar after all. The couple has officially ended their engagement just a month before their wedding date. 

Despite the sudden news, a representative for the pair shared that they are both “heartbroken” over the split. According to a spokesperson for Ramos, there wasn’t a dramatic fallout or a specific fight that led to the breakup.

“There wasn’t any rockiness in the lead-up, and there was no big argument or blowup,” the spokesperson told People on March 9. “It was a mutual decision.”

The news has sent ripples through the NFL community, but those close to Prescott say he is keeping his head up. Brian Schottenheimer, who took over as the Cowboys’ head coach last year, has been checking in on his star player frequently. 

Schottenheimer noted that while the situation is difficult, Prescott is handling the transition well as he prepares for the upcoming season.

“Dak and I have had a ton of conversations,” Schottenheimer said, per The Athletic. “He’s in a really good spot. Obviously, what he’s dealing with is incredibly tough. But if anyone can handle it, he can.”

The split has marked a bittersweet period in Prescott’s life; however, as his professional life has reached a huge milestone recently, even while his personal life continues to shift and change. Just two months after announcing his engagement in late 2024, Prescott signed a record-breaking four-year, $240 million contract extension.

Now, following a tough 7-9-1 season for the team, missing the playoffs, all eyes are on how Prescott rebounds, both on and off the field.