The Dallas Cowboys all but closed the door on their playoff chances last week with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a team that didn’t have much at stake. Technically, Dallas is still alive. But realistically, everyone knows where this is headed. Dak Prescott knows it, too, and he didn’t hide how it felt.

Prescott is used to playing meaningful football in January when he’s healthy. That’s been the pattern. This season looks like an exception, and he admitted it’s not something he’s comfortable with.

“This one stings. it’s a foreign feeling for sure. It’s motivating for sure,” he said, according to Cowboys beat reporter Joseph Hoyt.

Before this year, Prescott had played at least 12 games in seven of his first nine NFL seasons. The two seasons where he didn’t end with serious injuries, including last year, the Cowboys missed the playoffs both times. In the seven seasons where he was healthy or close to it, Dallas made the postseason five times. The only misses came in 2017 and 2019.

Now, 2025 is shaping up to be the third time a healthy Prescott doesn’t get there. And that’s a hard one to swallow. There were stretches of inconsistency, sure, but for long portions of the season, Prescott looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

If the defense had held up a little more often, the conversation might be different. Dallas let games slip away more than once. Prescott did his part. He leads the league with 3,931 passing yards, ranks third with 26 touchdowns, and owns the second-best QBR at 72.8. That’s production that usually comes with a playoff spot.

But this league doesn’t deal in what-ifs. Results are what they are. And even with the postseason slipping away, Prescott has no interest in shutting it down. He’s made it clear to head coach Brian Schottenheimer that he wants to play out the schedule.

Dak Prescott sends a clear message to Brian Schottenheimer

According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, Dallas now sits at under a one percent chance to get in. The path is narrow to the point of being unrealistic. They’d need the Eagles to lose their final three games and the Cowboys to win out. Still, Dak Prescott isn’t changing how he approaches what’s left. He wants to play.

“Being a professional, this is my job. This is what I love to do. Sitting out last year and the times before, you don’t take this game for granted. You play every game to win. You play every game with a chance to go to the playoffs and play in the Super Bowl,” the quarterback said.

“Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. If that’s not the case when we take the field or whatever it may be, I’m thankful for the opportunity to play this game, and I’m not going to ever pass it up,” he added.

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That’s who Prescott has always been. But there’s also a practical angle here. Prescott is on pace to become the first quarterback in Cowboys history to lead the NFL in passing yards in a season. He’s already at 3,931. That matters. It’s a real accomplishment, even if it comes in a season that falls short of expectations.

There’s also reason for caution. Prescott is 32, and his injury history isn’t something you ignore. He tore his hamstring in Week 9 of the 2024 season. He fractured his ankle back in 2020. The priority, whether said out loud or not, is being fully healthy when next season starts.

Prescott likely understands that balance as well as anyone. He’s made his stance clear to Brian Schottenheimer. He wants to be on the field. What happens from here is the coach’s call.