Getty Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
The NFL has dropped the proverbial hammer on Dak Prescott for incendiary remarks he uttered following the Dallas Cowboys‘ playoff loss to San Francisco.
More specifically, the league levied a $25,000 fine upon the star quarterback, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday, January 20.
“Dak Prescott has been fined $25,000 for his postgame comments related to the game officials, per source,” tweeted Schefter.
ALL the latest Dallas Cowboys news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Cowboys newsletter here!
‘Credit to Them’
This costly punishment was necessitated after Prescott directed his ire at the officiating crew that worked the Super Wild Card Weekend contest. The 23-17 defeat ended on a controversial play during which the umpire bumped into Prescott while he was attempting the spike the ball — and stop the clock — in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.
Prescott, however, was unable to get the snap off due to the incidental contact, prompting those in the stands at AT&T Stadium to throw beer bottles and other debris at the referees as they scuttled to safety.
Dak initially condemned the fans’ actions but quickly, and now controversially, changed his tune when made aware they were attacking the zebras rather than his fellow teammates.
“Credit to them, then. Yeah, credit to them. Credit. Credit to them,” Prescott said in his postgame press conference, via Pro Football Talk, before doubling down. “Yeah, I mean, yeah, if they weren’t at us, and if the fans felt the same way as us, and that’s what they were doing it for, yeah,” Prescott said. “I’m guessing that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast. Yeah, I think everybody is upset with the way that this thing played out. As I said, I’m sure a fan would feel the same way that we do.”
Follow the Heavy on Cowboys Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Dak Released Apology Via Twitter
Prescott’s comments came under fire from various sources, including the NBA Referees Association, which encouraged the NFL to “take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.”
Facing mounting backlash, Prescott took to his personal Twitter account on January 18 to issue an apology.
I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday. I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.
I hold the NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs. The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter.
That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry.
Cowboys brass since has distanced itself from Prescott’s rare public misstep, with team vice president Stephen Jones admonishing the fan base over the “unfortunate” incident.
“That’s not the way I see our fans,” Jones said Monday, January 17 on 105.3 The Fan. “I think we’re class acts. I just think there’s no place for things like that.
“I understand being frustrated, but I don’t understand throwing things onto the field where people can get injured. There’s just no place for that.”