MIAMI — Dak Prescott isn't going anywhere as the Cowboys' quarterback. He fully expects to avoid free agency and stay with the team for 2020 and beyond.
When Sporting News caught up with Prescott during Super Bowl week, that was of least concern for next season.
"I’ve got all the confidence in my agent and my team," Prescott, 26, told SN. "I have confidence in Dallas that something is going to happen that I will be in Dallas."
Instead, Prescott is focused on pushing the Cowboys' offense forward with a new head coach in Mike McCarthy and the same offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore.
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Prescott is coming off his best season in Year 4, which featured Moore calling plays for the first time. The QB threw for a career-high 4,902 yards and 30 TDs, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt and rating 99.7. That's a big reason why Dallas kept Moore attached to Prescott to mesh his philosophy with McCarthy.
"It’s someone that’s familiar staying, so that’s always good when you have a coaching change," Prescott said of Moore. "I'm excited for the change and what’s new, but it’s good to be able to grow off what we did last year.
"We had a lot of success on offense last year, but it didn’t necessarily correlate into wins, so you want to keep building on that. I’m excited that Coach McCarthy kept him on."
Prescott was impressed with how Moore, only five years older than him at 31, performed like a seasoned coordinator right away, showing great future head-coaching material.
"You’re only worried about that because you would be losing him," Prescott said of Moore at some point becoming a head coach elsewhere. "He’s somebody who’s prepared, somebody who just has it — that mental capacity to be able to see the offense differently from other people. He can see a defense and know how to play a chess match to counter them.
"You can also see the timing, the timing of when he calls the right plays for us. I’m thankful for what he’s done this past season and what he’s going to do for my career. “
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As far adjusting and adapting to McCarthy, Prescott is just getting started on studying his new coach's scheme with a lot of extra homework ahead in the offseason. It hasn't taken long, however, for Prescott and his teammates to warm up to the former Packers leader.
“Playing against him, including one bad time in the playoffs, that speaks to him as somebody you want to follow who’s won playoff games, won a Super Bowl," Prescott said of McCarthy. "When you come into an organization trying to lead men and you have that, we want to follow. He has the direction and the plan to get there, so we’re behind him wanting to go get that.”
The Cowboys' long-time former coach whom McCarthy replaced, Jason Garrett, was hired to be the offensive coordinator of the division-rival Giants. Even though Garrett is gone, Prescott will never forget the most important thing Garrett preached to him since he was a rookie QB in 2016.
"Preparation — just being confident in everything you’ve studied and you’ve done," Prescott said. "When it’s time to go out there and play and do what you need to do, let it go, because you’re prepared and you’ve done anything."
That part of Garrett will stay with Prescott as he battles to get the better Garrett's new team with Moore and McCarthy.
"He was one of the most prepared and professional men I’ve ever been around. I’m just so thankful for what he’s done for my career," Prescott added on Garrett. "We’ve got a change in coaching, too, so you don’t know what kind of insight they’re going to have. It will be fun. That rivalry remains at the peak."
The Cowboys will be either locking up Prescott to a lucrative long-term deal, or giving him the money guaranteed for one year with the franchise tag, valued close to $27 million. That could make it complicated for Dallas to keep veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper as intended, too.
Regardless of Cooper's status, Prescott is fortunate to have a budding receiver with No. 1 qualities in Michael Gallup, who broke out in his second season with 66 catches for 1,107 yards and 6 TDs in only 14 games.
“I love what Gallup is capable of doing," Prescott said. "He’s such a special receiver. I always say he’s gummy because it doesn’t look like he has bones, but it’s also because he makes these freaky plays to get open on a route. You can’t jam him because he’s going to get off it because he’s so fluid. He’s somebody who wants to learn and get better every day. As a young QB, you want somebody like that to grow with.”
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With Moore, McCarthy, Gallup, the offensive line and Ezekiel Elliott certain to remain part of Prescott's support system for a while, he is hoping to help the Cowboys finish better than 8-8. Before 2019, Prescott had a 32-16 regular-season record, helping Dallas win two division titles in his first three years.
As a young QB chasing a shot at a Super Bowl ring, whatever dazzling individual stats Prescott puts up have little meaning unless there's a return to the playoffs in 2020.
"It's frustrating. I feel like I played some of my best ball this past year," Prescott said. "I’m not a numbers guy, so when I say that, it’s not like I’m saying, ‘Hey, look at the numbers.’ They validate that. I just want them to tie directly to more wins."
Prescott has had a winning relationship off the field with Dannon, for whom he shot a new Super Bowl-timed commercial that took his pregame "Dak Dance" to another level.
"It’s been everything, honestly. When I got to making decisions on who I wanted to sponsor with and who wanted me to push their brand, I wanted it to be genuine and that’s what Oikos Triple Zero has allowed me to do," Prescott said. “I am not a big breakfast person, but I do need the protein, I do need the energy, and it does the job.”
Prescott can't wait to do his job again for the Cowboys. He is determined to keep doing all the work that keeps him in the conversation among league's top young passers. Luckily, he's in the right situation with the right people to get it done.
