Before the 2026 season begins, Dak Prescott is already leading the Dallas Cowboys in passing yards and is closing in on the 36,000-yard mark. He’s also the franchise leader in completion percentage at 66.9% and passer rating at 98.3. During the season, Prescott only needs six touchdowns to become the franchise’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns, surpassing franchise legend Tony Romo.

On paper, those numbers establish Dak Prescott as one of the best quarterbacks not only in Cowboys history but also in the league. In reality, however, Dallas has little to show for his individual success, as the Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship Game in the last 30 years, let alone the Super Bowl.

Dale Hansen recently addressed Prescott’s situation in Dallas while speaking with former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. He asked Aikman whether he believes the Cowboys will change their trajectory this year or continue playing the same way they have. Aikman, as ever, remained optimistic that the Cowboys will ultimately turn things around.

“I don’t want to be a cynic, but we’ve been saying that for 30 years, so I mean, at some point, the Cowboys are going to break through. It’s just a matter of when,” said Aikman on Dallas Dialogue with Dale.

However, Hansen’s argument is built on the fact that Dak Prescott still isn’t Troy Aikman or Staubach when it comes to driving team success. The Cowboys under Tom Landry, alongside Roger Staubach, won two Super Bowls. Meanwhile, Aikman won the remaining three under Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer.

“He’s not you (Aikman). He’s not Roger Staubach. And hell, I’m not even convinced he’s Danny White. I mean, I don’t know if you know about Danny White’s game, but Danny White was very good,” Hansen told Aikman.

Hansen’s criticism came as Dak Prescott is currently making $60 million per year despite not having a Super Bowl ring, to which Aikman reacted,

“I was asked recently if I thought the Cowboys have let Dak down, and the question came from the perspective of the defense and not addressing that,” Aikman added. “And as I said, I find it hard to say that the Cowboys have let Dak down when he’s the highest-paid guy in the NFL at $60 million a year.”

However, Prescott’s stats speak for themselves. During the 2025 season, the Cowboys’ QB recorded 4,552 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. With Prescott leading the offense, Dallas ranked seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 27.7 points per game. The defense, on the other hand, was a major disappointment.

For broader context, the Cowboys had one of the worst scoring defenses in the league, allowing 30.1 points per game, while ranking 30th in total defense after surrendering more than 6,400 yards, or 377 yards per game. The pass defense was arguably the biggest problem, as the unit allowed 4,521 passing yards.

So, it’s safe to say that the defensive unit surely let Prescott down. However, heading into the 2026 season, the Cowboys have made several changes to their defense. Whether those changes materialize this season remains to be seen.