The 3 Keys Behind Dak Prescott’s Potential 2025 Breakout

The secret to Dak Prescott's success in 2025

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is heading into his tenth and most important NFL season. The 31-year-old is set to break franchise records, return from a brutal hamstring injury, and start playing with the third head coach of his career.

That is quite a bit to carry on its own, but when you factor in an increasingly tight Super Bowl window and newfound pressure from an improved supporting cast, things get real tense.

We will be faced with some very uncomfortable conversations if Prescott fails to deliver a strong 2025 campaign.

There is no question that the former MVP runner-up has the talent; this season, and the question marks around it, solely rely on whether he can come through in a few key areas.

So, let’s take a quick look at the three keys to success that will determine a critical year for the face of the franchise.

That is quite a bit to carry on its own, but when you factor in an increasingly tight Super Bowl window and newfound pressure from an improved supporting cast, things get real tense.

We will be faced with some very uncomfortable conversations if Prescott fails to deliver a strong 2025 campaign.

There is no question that the former MVP runner-up has the talent; this season, and the question marks around it, solely rely on whether he can come through in a few key areas.

So, let’s take a quick look at the three keys to success that will determine a critical year for the face of the franchise.

Staying Healthy: Durability Concerns Are Real

Over the last five seasons, Dak Prescott has played every regular-season game just once. That was in 2023, when he eclipsed career highs in nearly every statistical category.

Outside of that year, we’ve seen the ankle break in 2020, that nagging shoulder strain in 2021, the hand fracture in 2022, and the 2024 season-ending hamstring tear.

The list of injuries at this point has simply gotten too long.

For Prescott to have the kind of season the Cowboys need, he absolutely must stay healthy. We’ve seen how poorly backup quarterback-led years tend to go.

It’s easier said than done; you can’t entirely prevent an injury, but the fact is, you can’t continue to be relied on so heavily if you can’t stay on the field. This will be a huge year for the health of Prescott.

See also Is Dallas’ preseason approach hindering the team’s progression?

Spread The Wealth: Get All Weapons Involved

The Dallas Cowboys are at their best when Dak Prescott is delivering the ball to a slew of weapons. In 2024, that wasn’t all that possible due to the weakness of his supporting cast, but that tide has turned heading into this season

George Pickens’ arrival has given Prescott his strongest WR2 in years, and he’s paired with a top-three wide receiver in the league.

Not to mention, Jake Ferguson still has Pro Bowl potential.

CeeDee Lamb is fantastic, of course, but a major key to Prescott’s success will be his ability to get everybody involved. The entire offense opens up when he does that.

Lamb, Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Ferguson; all of these guys should be seeing the ball and opening up opportunities for one another. If that happens, you’re going to see a very special product on the field in 2025.

Limit Turnovers: Interceptions Can Ruin The Offense

The top knock against Prescott across his career has been turnovers. Whether that’s fair or not doesn’t matter much to Dallas this season; what matters is limiting interceptions to keep the offense flowing.

In 2023, Dak Prescott threw nine interceptions in 590 pass attempts. Last year, he threw eight in 286.

It’s not hard to read the stats and see that the Cowboys have success when he isn’t forcing tight window, or double-coverage throws.

Excluding his injury-ridden seasons, Prescott has four years with double-digit interceptions, and three under that mark. In the lower seasons, Dallas’ winning percentage is 69%; in the higher years, that drops down to 62%.