Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott shared a brief postgame exchange with Rams owner Stan Kroenke after Saturday's preseason matchup. The moment went viral when Prescott told Kroenke he would see the Los Angeles Rams again in the NFC championship game.
This didn't sit well with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, a frequent critic of "America's Team."
On Monday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up," Smith delivered a harsh critique of Prescott, focusing on his playoff performance relative to his earnings and tenure in the NFL.
He said the quarterback's annual remarks sound identical to those from past seasons and rarely translate into playoff success.
"Dak Prescott… says the same thing every year, every year. It never reaches fruition," Smith said, noting the Cowboys signal-caller is entering his 10th NFL season without ever reaching the NFC championship game. He also contrasted Prescott's drought with the Los Angeles Rams, who won a Super Bowl during his career.
Smith then turned to what he called "career earnings per playoff win."
"You look at Patrick Mahomes, right? He's got 17 playoff wins," Smith said. "Do you know that his average is around $10.7 million per playoff? Prescott is No. 3, probably all time. I mean, Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson are ahead of him, but Prescott is third, averaging $124.3 million for two playoff wins. ...
"So he makes sure he gets his money. He makes sure he gets the headlines. ... He just makes sure to do everything but win the second it turns into the postseason. It's what he does."
Prescott's 2024 season was cut short by a torn right hamstring suffered in Week 9. He finished with 1,978 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions over eight games.
In the 2025 season, under first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer and with the roster boosted by the arrival of George Pickens, the Cowboys hope Prescott can overcome last year's challenges and lead the team to a deeper playoff run.