Rarely do you see someone being criticized despite buying Christmas gifts for over 90 people. But when it did happen, this Cowboys veteran had his QB’s back. This year, Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott gave out $500 Oakley Meta smart glasses to over 90 players and staff members. However, some fans criticized the QB, arguing that the spending was too low compared to his massive $134 million contract. This didn’t sit well with Prescott’s teammate.

“500 dollar glasses for 90 plus people in the building … You do the math,” Cowboys defensive back Juanyeh Thomas posted on his X account. “If you can’t afford to do what he does, shut da hell up and keep it pushing…”

What led fans to criticize the QB wasn’t the gift in itself, but it was his statement when he urged his teammates to be generous when pooling money for Christmas bonuses for the team’s support staff, telling them, “don’t be cheap” and highlighting the “unsung heroes.” Every holiday season, it is a tradition for NFL quarterbacks to buy gifts for their teammates, and Prescott obliged. Unfortunately, the criticism didn’t sit well with everyone. This led the star Cowboys safety, who has spent his NFL career with the team, to defend his leader on social media.

As fans calculated the total gift amount and compared it to his contract, some didn’t have great things to say about the gesture. Practically speaking, anywhere around $45,000 isn’t a small amount for most regular people, and Thomas defended his QB publicly about the same.

While there were some who criticized the gesture, others loved it as a sign of leadership and team unity. In a recent episode of Hard Knocks, Prescott was shown leading a meeting where he urged players to contribute to a holiday bonus fund. He reminded the team that while players and coaches are paid very well, many of the support staff who work behind the scenes do not make as much. Dak encouraged the players to give a little extra to the specific people who help them every day.

“Give more to the guys that work with you,”  Prescott said during the meeting. “The guy that’s snapping the ball with the O-line. Guy that’s holding the dummies for D-line. The guys that take care of your equipment where they clean your locker. That’s an opportunity to give them more. The gist of this, once again, is not to make it too hard.”

This culture of giving is not something that Prescott recently introduced. The franchise has worked closely with the Salvation Army every year to help those in need during the holidays. For Dak, generosity off the field and excellence on it converged when it mattered most.

Dak Prescott leads the Cowboys to an elite victory on Christmas Day

On Christmas Day, the Cowboys knew they were out of the playoffs, but it was more than just playing for qualification. The Cowboys secured a 30-23 victory over the Washington Commanders, largely due to a dominant start and another stellar performance from Dak Prescott. They wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, finding the end zone on each of their first three drives to build a commanding 21-3 lead.

While the Commanders fought back and narrowed the deficit to a single touchdown on three different occasions, they were unable to finish the comeback, suffering their 10th loss in their last 11 games. The game held significant weight for Prescott’s individual season, tying him for a record four seasons with 30 TDs or more for the team.

By throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns, he re-established his place among the league’s elite quarterbacks. This performance marked his sixth 300-yard passing game of the year, moving him past Detroit’s Jared Goff for the most in the NFL this season. Prescott also equaled Tony Romo’s incredible four-season record of 30 TDs, and is expected to go on to break this record with about three years remaining on his extension. 

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Prescott’s ability to consistently put up big numbers has been vital for a Dallas team that often finds itself in high-scoring shootouts due to a struggling defense. The quarterback is also eager to grab a win in their final game of the season to maintain a .500 record this season. As the season nears its end, his reliability and leadership remain the primary reasons the Cowboys’ offense continues to be one of the most productive in the league.