Getty Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott talks to a teammate during an NFL game.
With training camp underway and the regular season just weeks away, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is focused on what he can control.
But that isn’t stopping those looking on at the Cowboys and Prescott from giving their two cents. As one of the world’s biggest sports teams, seemingly everyone has a take on the quarterback, including current NFL coaches.
In The Athletic’s latest QB rankings, anonymous NFL coaches provided quotes for deciding which “tier” each NFL quarterback is in. Prescott clocked in at Tier 2, and the quotes alongside it don’t do the 29-year-old QB any favors.
“He’s a solid player. Really solid,” a NFL coach said. “He’s not going to change and all of a sudden become something more special.”
The other quote directed at Prescott explains that he’s definitely Tier 2, but he has never made the step up to Tier 1.
“I don’t think there is a major flaw in his game, but I’m not sure if he has like truly hit that upper echelon,” another coach said. “I think he is a very healthy 2, a 2-plus. He has never really made that leap.”
So, who are the quarterbacks in Tier 1 and ahead of the Cowboys QB?
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Six NFL QBs Ranked in Tier Above Prescott’s
The ranking system used by The Athletic does include individual rankings (and Prescott is ranked 11th,) but instead focuses on the tiers that help distinguish the “elite” from the “good” and so on. The outlet provides a description of Tier 2:
“[The quarterback] can carry his team sometimes but not as consistently. He can handle pure passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3. He has a hole or two in his game.”
Conversely, six quarterbacks were placed in Tier 1, who are described as quarterbacks that can fully take over and run a game on their own.
- Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
- Los Angeles Chargers (Justin Herbert)
- Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
- Joe Burrow (Cincinatti Bengals)
In terms of prominent quarterbacks that are in Tier 2 with Prescott, Los Angeles Rams QB Matt Stafford and Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson are just a couple of names in the group.
Mike McCarthy Comments on Prescott’s Growth
While other NFL coaches may not be sold on Prescott, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear that the quarterback has continued to grow since the coach’s arrival in early 2020.
“Oh no, I don’t think he’s a finished product but where I see him grow, I don’t know if there’s an area that he hasn’t grown, to be honest with you,” McCarthy said at a July 28 press conference. “You look at his physical conditioning, he weighs the same, but he’s obviously more leaner, more flexible. He’s put a tremendous amount of work into that, so you’re seeing that pay off. I think his ability to throw from different arm slots, I think you’re seeing an increase in ability there and that’s obviously a tribute to his training and the extra work that he puts in, just like anything.”
Dak being healthy after his ankle injury sidelined him for most of 2020 and bothered him in 2021 is definitely a good thing for Dallas. However, after an early exit in the 2021 playoffs, there’s also more pressure on Prescott and the Cowboys to improve this season.