Franchise Moments: 
Dallas Cowboys' Top Moment of the Last Decade
The Cowboys are one of the biggest, most popular teams in the NFL. However, the fact that their top moment over the last 10 years is drafting a quarterback says a lot about the team's fortunes during that period, especially for a team with championship aspirations year in and year out.
Dak Prescott is not just ANY quarterback, though. He remains the starting signal-caller in Dallas and is the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards (35,989) while ranking second in passing touchdowns (243) in the regular season. The numbers, the stats and the accolades are there.
However, unless something changes and the Cowboys become a Super Bowl contender overnight, Prescott's career is on the path of being remembered as the one of a player who posted excellent numbers ... but couldn't snap Dallas' Super Bowl drought.
The moment: Drafting Dak Prescott (2016)
How Did Dak Prescott Land in Dallas?
Prescott's path toward being the starting quarterback for the Cowboys almost looked as if it was written for a movie about an underdog athlete that defies expectations when he has the chance to shine on the biggest stage.
That's probably the best way to sum up Prescott's rookie year in Dallas. The Cowboys selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State with the 135th overall pick, and the original plan was to have him as the backup behind Tony Romo, learning all the nuances of the league before eventually taking over as the starter.
However, things took a U-turn in preseason when Romo suffered a back injury, thrusting the rookie into the starting lineup. Prescott immediately exceeded expectations, leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record while throwing for 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions. His poise, decision-making and efficiency earned him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, a Pro Bowl selection and a third-place finish in MVP voting.
Excellent Numbers Despite Recurring Health Issues
Prescott has developed into one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL when healthy. Through the 2025 season, Prescott has made 139 regular-season starts for Dallas, completing 66.9 percent of his passes for 35,989 yards, 243 touchdowns and 92 interceptions while posting a career passer rating of 98.3. In a league where being a dual-threat under center is becoming more and more common, Prescott has racked up over 2,500 rushing yards in his 10-year tenure in Dallas while scoring 31 rushing touchdowns.
In terms of accolades, Prescott has four Pro Bowl nods and two Top-6 MVP finishes in his career. However, he's also had a fair share of health issues along the way. He's played 12 or fewer games in three of his last six seasons, including a career-low five games in 2020 when he suffered a devastating compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle after producing historic passing numbers in the early stages of the campaign.
It's fair to wonder how Prescott's numbers would look if he hadn't missed most of the 2020 season, which was shaping up to be the best year of his career. Unfortunately, his elite numbers aren't enough to slot him as one of the all-time greats in Cowboys history, and he's certainly behind the likes of Troy Aikman, Romo and others due to his lack of playoff success.
Theo GremmingerSee Theo's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Ian HartitzSee Ian's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Jagger MaySee Jagger's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Jim CoventrySee Jim's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Jeff EricksonSee Jeff's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Jerry DonabedianSee Jerry's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
Mario PuigSee Mario's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsAnalyzing Prescott's Struggles In The NFL Playoffs
No discussion of Prescott's tenure is complete without addressing his lack of success in the playoffs. Despite his regular-season consistency, postseason success has remained elusive, as evidenced by his 2-5 playoff record as Dallas' starting quarterback. His victories came against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 Wild Card Round and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2022 season, with the latter being the Cowboys' first road playoff victory in three decades.
Each postseason run, however, has ended before reaching the NFC Championship Game, extending one of the NFL's longest conference title game droughts. The Cowboys haven't played for the NFC title in 30 years, making it the longest active drought in the NFL in that regard.
It's clear that Prescott is an excellent option to lead the Cowboys offense for years to come as long as he stays healthy and productive. Even though his lack of playoff success has so far defined his career, it's worth noting that his development has been instrumental for continuity on offense in the post-Tony Romo era.
With very little playoff success over the last 10 years, and just by taking a quick glance at his numbers, it's easy to see why drafting Prescott has been the Cowboys' most defining moment of the last decade.
More About The Campaign
The RotoWire expert panel voted to select the single most franchise-defining moment from the last 10 years for all 32 NFL teams. Voting has now closed. The results power a 33-article editorial series published across RotoWire ahead of the NFL season -- one dedicated article per franchise, plus one overarching piece covering the broader trends and standout moments across the league.
