Dak Prescott Sees Dallas Cowboys As ‘Super Bowl Or Bust’ Entering 2026

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering his eleventh season with the same expectation he’s carried throughout his career, winning the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for February 14, 2027, a date that will mark more than 31 years since Dallas last won it all. That drought hasn’t changed what Prescott expects from himself, his teammates or the fan base, a point he made clear during a virtual meet-and-greet with fans alongside rookie defensive back Caleb Downs.

“That’s the one thing I love about the Cowboys nation and being a player of the Cowboys is, it’s Super Bowl or bust,” Prescott said. “And truthfully, that’s the only reason you play this game. So if that’s not your mindset, if that’s not your mindset as a fan, then to me, you don’t have the right passion. You’re not a true winner. So absolutely, we’re working every day for it.”

Front Office Matches the Mindset

Prescott said the organization backed up that urgency with an aggressive offseason that included coaching changes and significant defensive additions.

“Whether it be competing away from the game or even in the game when we’re competing, that’s why we have players like Caleb, why we changed our defensive coordinator and scheme, and why we’re super excited about what we’re going to offer you guys,” he said.

Prescott put in his own work, too. Once organized team activities wrapped up, he spent part of the offseason golfing before gathering the team’s receivers and tight ends in Utah for informal throwing sessions.

“It’s been fun,” Prescott said. “It’s been busy. We had the offseason training and workouts, and when that ended a few weeks ago, for me it was about playing golf. I had the receivers and tight ends, all the pass catchers, out in Utah. We had a great time getting better and building camaraderie. It’s been a great offseason.”

Defense Undergoes a Full Overhaul

Dallas’ problems in 2025 didn’t come from Prescott’s side of the ball. The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 with an offense that ranked among the league’s better units, while the defense surrendered a franchise-record 511 points, the most in the league. The Cowboys responded with significant changes on defense this offseason.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker arrived from the Philadelphia Eagles, an NFC East rival, where he was passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, to call his own defense for the first time at the NFL level. Free agency brought in Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson, and Cobie Durant to reinforce the unit around him.

Caleb Downs Impresses Early

The most notable new piece arrived in this year’s NFL Draft, when Dallas used the eleventh overall pick on Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. He has yet to play a regular-season snap, but Prescott said Downs has already stood out for how he’s carried himself.

“All the great things he’s done, the way that he approaches the game, his mentality and all of that, it’s what you want,” Prescott said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about putting on the pads and going out and making plays. We couldn’t have asked for a better rookie to step in and understand the responsibility that comes with it, not necessarily on his shoulders alone, but that a new defense is trying to build an identity, and how much of a big part he’s going to play in it.”

Prescott compared Downs’ early approach to his own rookie season in 2016.

“It makes me think back to my rookie year. It’s about keeping your mouth quiet and earning respect from the people around you, making sure you’re doing the right things, and Caleb has done all of that and then some,” Prescott said. “That’s why we’ve been so welcoming. He makes it easy to welcome. We’re excited for the fall, to watch him make plays and get the ball back to me.”

Prescott’s praise for Downs reflected more than optimism about a rookie. It underscored the stakes surrounding a defense that has been almost entirely rebuilt, one Dallas is counting on to complement Prescott and an offense that has carried the team as the Cowboys chase their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1995 season.