Dak Prescott will start his 17th game of the 2025 season. The four-time Pro Bowler and the Dallas Cowboys have fielded questions recently regarding his status following the team's elimination from playoff contention in December, but both have held fast to their stance that it would be Prescott finishing out the season as starter, and not backup quarterback Joe Milton.
Anyone wondering if there was a chance minds were changed following the Christmas Day victory over the Washington Commanders found out, on Monday, that the Cowboys weren't interesting in wavering from trying to avoid a losing record and, as such, Prescott will play against the New York Giants in the season finale.
We plan on finishing strong and having Dak play," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "We've got a chance to go 5-1 in the division and hopefully finish 8-8-1, so that's the plan we're looking at now. The biggest thing for me is putting the gameplan together, having another great week of practice. You know how much respect I have for [the Giants] and an elite front seven, so the plan is to play Dak."
It goes without saying that Prescott feels the same, so much so that, one week prior and again on Christmas evening, the All-Pro quarterback made it clear he'd push back against anyone inside the building who'd try and suggest he sit in Week 18 at MetLife Stadium.
"The conversations we've already had about are for me to play," Prescott said. "The season being where it is, trying to make sure we finish it [at] 8-8-1. That's important, and that's important to me. I'm very proud, and I take a lot of pride in that, and so I want to go out there, and I want to win — most importantly. Me starting gives us the best chance, obviously, so I wanna play."
And, with that, Prescott will achieve the only goal he has left in an otherwise disappointing 2025 season: to play in all 17 regular season games.
Given Prescott's recent battle with injuries that have, on more than one occasion, either landed him on season-ending injured reserve or simply cost him a game or two — over the past several seasons — it stands to reason why Prescott, who returned this year from a severe hamstring injury suffered midway through the 2024 campaign, would want to prove he can remain healthy and available.
Of course, there are obvious risks that he and the Cowboys must and likely have considered.
Taking the field in a game that has only pride on the line doesn't negate the risk of an injury that could impact the 2026 season, and that's simply the fact of football. In an attempt to try and keep Prescott upright, the Cowboys moved All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith to the left tackle position, but Prescott was still sacked a total of six times in the win on Christmas.
The offensive line will have to be monumentally better against the Giants' defensive front, and especially with what's on the line — namely not simply avoiding a second consecutive losing record, but also the future of the franchise.
