Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dak Prescott
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dak Prescott made an impact.
Rayne Dakota "Dak" Prescott is a professional American football quarterback currently playing for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. He achieved recognition playing college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors twice. Prescott was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Notably, Prescott holds high rankings in NFL history, including being seventh all-time in completion percentage among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts and eighth in all-time regular season career passer rating.
1952: Tied School Record
In 2015, Dak Prescott tied a school record set in 1952.
1966: Touchdown Record Since Don Meredith
In 1966, Dak Prescott became the first Dallas quarterback to compile seven touchdown passes in the first two regular season games since Don Meredith.
1966: Second-Longest Pass in Franchise History
In 1966, Don Meredith and Bob Hayes connected for a 95-yard pass, which at the time of Dak Prescott's Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions was the longest pass in franchise history.
1989: PFWA All-Rookie Team
In 2017, Dak Prescott was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the second Cowboys quarterback to receive this award, joining Troy Aikman in 1989.
2004: Tied Rookie Record
In 2016, Dak Prescott tied Ben Roethlisberger's 2004 rookie record of winning 13 games as a starter.
2009: First Quarterback selected since 2009
In 2016, Dak Prescott was the first quarterback selected by the Cowboys since the 2009 NFL draft.
2010: District 1-AAAA Champion
In 2010, Dak Prescott led Haughton High School to become District 1-AAAA Champions.
2011: Redshirted at Mississippi State
In 2011, Dak Prescott was redshirted as a true freshman at Mississippi State.
2012: Backup Quarterback
In 2012, Dak Prescott played in 12 games as a backup quarterback for Mississippi State, completing 18 of 29 passes for 194 yards and four touchdowns.
2012: Broken Rookie Records
In 2016, Dak Prescott broke the rookie record of nine games with an over 100 NFL passer rating set by Russell Wilson in 2012. He also broke Robert Griffin III's 2012 records for NFL passer rating, interception to attempts, and touchdown to interception ratio.
2013: Starting Quarterback
In 2013, Dak Prescott became the starting quarterback for Mississippi State after Tyler Russell suffered a concussion. He was also named MVP of the Liberty Bowl.
2014: Record-Breaking Season
In 2014, Dak Prescott broke 10 school records and led the Bulldogs to a 10-2 regular season record, its first #1 ranking in program history and led them to the Orange Bowl.
2015: Continued Success at Mississippi State
In 2015, Dak Prescott achieved several milestones, becoming the fourth player in FBS history to pass for 60 touchdowns and rush for 40 touchdowns in a career, and received multiple awards and nominations.
2016: Rookie Records
In 2016, Dak Prescott set several rookie records, including 11 games with an over 100 NFL passer rating, a 104.9 NFL passer rating, a 0.87% interception to attempts ratio, a 5.75 touchdown to interception ratio, a touchdown to interception differential of 19, and a 67.76% pass completion percentage.
2016: Named Cowboys Starter
In 2016, Dak Prescott was named the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback after Tony Romo's injury.
2016: Drafted by Dallas Cowboys
In 2016, Dak Prescott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
2017: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
After his rookie season, in 2017, Dak Prescott was selected to the Pro Bowl and named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2018: Third Professional Season
During his third professional season in 2018, Dak Prescott helped the Cowboys win the NFC East for the second time in three years, finishing with a 10-6 record.
2019: NFC Offensive Player of the Week
In 2019, Dak Prescott was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time after a game against the Detroit Lions, where he finished with 444 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, and four total touchdowns.
March 16, 2020: Franchise Tag
On March 16, 2020, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Dak Prescott, worth $31.4 million for the 2020 season.
June 22, 2020: Signing of the Tender
On June 22, 2020, Dak Prescott signed the tender from the Cowboys.
October 19, 2020: Placed on Injured Reserve
On October 19, 2020, Dak Prescott was placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle during a game against the New York Giants.
2020: Season Stats and Ranking
In 2020, Dak Prescott finished the season with 4,902 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, also recording 52 carries for 277 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He was ranked 46th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
March 9, 2021: Second Franchise Tag
On March 9, 2021, the Cowboys placed the exclusive franchise tag on Dak Prescott for the second consecutive season.
2023: 2023 Regular Season Performance
In 2023, Dak Prescott finished his regular season with a 69.5% completion percentage, 4,516 passing yards, and an NFL leading 36 passing touchdowns. He also achieved a career-high passer rating of 105.9. Prescott was named a finalist for NFL MVP and finished second in voting.
2023: NFL Top 100 Ranking
In 2023, Dak Prescott was ranked 56th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
2023: Lamar Jackson Contract
In 2023, Dak Prescott's signing bonus record with the Cowboys was surpassed by Lamar Jackson's contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
September 8, 2024: Record Contract Extension
On September 8, 2024, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $240 million. This deal gave Prescott the highest average annual value in NFL history at the time.
2024: Rookie Completion Record Broken
In a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016, Dak Prescott set an NFL rookie record with an 88.9% completion percentage, that was later broken by Jayden Daniels in 2024.
