Stephen A. Smith doesn’t mince words. He recently ripped into Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, taking shots at his massive $55.4 million cap hit that’s gobbling up over a fifth of Dallas’ payroll.

Smith went straight for the jugular, calling out Prescott’s dismal playoff record as one of the worst for any starting QB with at least five postseason starts. “That’s along the lines of Billy Kilmer and Alex Smith,” Smith roared during a discussion at the First Take segment, questioning how a player who “can’t even get you to an NFC Championship game” is earning elite QB money from America’s Team.

While Dallas digs itself into a financial hole, Smith had nothing but praise for Jalen Hurts and the soaring Eagles. According to him, Hurts’ record-setting $51 million per year extension is a worthy reward for the QB whose “dual-threat dynamism” and clutch play have Philly flying high as NFC East champs.

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The tale of the two NFC East franchises couldn’t be more contrasting. As the Eagles double down on their cornerstone in Hurts, the Cowboys seem content to run out the clock on Prescott, gambling that no team will meet his asking price in 2025 free agency. It’s a high-risk game of chicken that could leave Dallas in the dust as Philly’s continues unchallenged. The QB conundrum sums up the chasm between these bitter rivals, setting the stage for a showdown.

Smith’s puts a Smackdown on the Dak Prescott vs Hurts debate

While Smith teed off on Prescott’s bloated paycheck, his real beef seemed to be the quarterback’s lackluster playoff resume. The numbers back up Smith’s scathing critique. Despite six winning seasons and four NFC East titles, Prescott’s 2-5 playoff record is one of the worst for any starting QB with at least five postseason starts. His inability to get over the hump and lead America’s Team on a deep playoff run is made even more glaring by the franchise’s nearly three-decade drought since their last NFC Championship game appearance way back in 1995.

As Smith railed against the Cowboys paying top dollar for Prescott’s pedestrian playoff performances, he couldn’t help but contrast it with their NFC East rivals in Philadelphia. The analyst gushed over Jalen Hurts’ ascent. “You’re trying to tell me that a guy who’s been quarterbacking for the Philadelphia Eagles for a significantly lesser period of time who’s already taking them to a Super Bowl appearance…counts significantly less against the Philadelphia Eagles cap than Dak Prescott,” Smith stated, highlighting the stark difference between the two franchises’ approaches.

As Smith’s scathing words linger, the pressure’s on Prescott to silence the critics and prove his playoff worth, before Dallas’s patience – and pocketbook – runs out. Can the highly-paid gunslinger finally spur the ‘Boys to an elusive deep postseason run?