The Dallas Cowboys endured another frustrating campaign in 2025–26, finishing 7–9–1, but franchise legend Emmitt Smith has come to Dak Prescott’s defense. With the team missing the playoffs yet again, the star quarterback, Dak Prescott, has faced growing criticism despite putting up strong individual numbers. Speaking on 105.3 The FAN, franchise legend Emmitt Smith came to QB’s defense and pushed back on that narrative, emphasizing that Prescott is still a winning-calibre player.

“Last year, the guy was a top-five quarterback,” Smith said. “Nobody wants to talk about that. But everybody wants to talk about, ‘Well, he’s a top-five quarterback, but he hasn’t made the playoffs.’ All that isn’t on him. When you have a sorry-ass defense that we had last year, you have Dak putting up the numbers he did last year… you don’t have a defense. Defense wins championships; defense will get you into the playoffs.”

According to Smith, as long as Prescott stays healthy, he can continue performing at a high level for years to come.

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“I think as long as he stays healthy, he can play just as long as any other quarterback that you have out there right now,” Smith said. “And I think he can be as effective as he’s always been. He’s always been effective.”

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And so, according to Smith, Prescott cannot be blamed. The former Cowboys star believes the blame lies at the team’s defensive struggles. He called that out as the main reason behind the disappointing record. Dallas allowed over 30 points per game, one of the worst marks in the league, which placed constant pressure on the offense.

Smith argues that if the defense had been even slightly better, the season would have ended very differently.

“What I just said was, if the defense improved 20% from what they were last year, we win a few more games, and we make the playoffs, I believe,” Smith added. “And we might be able to make a difference in the playoffs.”

Despite the criticism against Dak Prescott, he has quietly put together one of the most impressive careers in franchise history. Now, as Dallas heads into another offseason, questions remain about the team’s overall balance and roster construction. And as Smith pointed out, the issues are beyond the quarterback position. Prescott could still be the team’s best option moving forward.

It’s also worth mentioning that Smith has a history of sticking up for Prescott like this.

Time and time again, Emmitt Smith has stood up for the Cowboys’ QB

Emmitt Smith has long been a supporter of Dak Prescott, though his praise usually comes with a catch. As far back as 2024, Smith spoke highly of the Cowboys quarterback while remaining skeptical about whether Prescott could actually win a championship. During an interview on a FanSided podcast, Smith highlighted Prescott’s potential, noting that he has more room to grow than many of his peers.

“Even though Dak Prescott has proven that he can throw the football, there is so much more upside with Prescott than there is with some other quarterbacks. He’s shown that he can lead a team to 12 wins,” Smith said. “He’s shown that he can overcome adversity and bounce back. He’s shown that he can read coverages. He’s shown that he can be a complete quarterback. Now, can he take it to the next level? Yes, he can.”

However, Prescott’s reputation struggled after a painful wild-card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers in early 2024, where the Cowboys lost 48-32. Although the entire team played poorly, the loss was another example of Prescott failing to play his best when it mattered most. 

This pattern of playing like a star during the regular season but struggling in the postseason has become the defining narrative of his career.

Smith explained that while some quarterbacks have reached their limit, he believes players like Prescott, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson still have another gear to find. He argued that these stars need to refine specific parts of their game to truly become elite and lead their teams to greatness.

“There are some (QBs) that have already tapped out, and they can’t go to the next level. I’m looking for Josh Allen now to take it to the next level. Can he become that elite quarterback versus trying to be Lamar Jackson all the time? That kind of stuff. Can Lamar become a better passer and read coverages a lot better to help his team become better? Those are areas of improvement for guys like Dak.”

There is no doubt that Smith’s faith has played a huge role in supporting Dak Prescott in his game. Even though the Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl lately, Prescott’s individual performance has been top-tier. His ability to consistently play at such a high level is impressive, and he is only expected to get better from here.