Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy embark on critical year in Dallas

Dak Prescott has the most important year of his career ahead of him.

Prescott is playing out the 2020 campaign on the franchise tag after his representation and the Dallas Cowboys couldn’t come to terms on a deal. Without long-term security, the 27-year-old is hoping to shine under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy comes to the Cowboys after sitting out the 2019 season following his ouster from the Green Bay Packers. During his 13-year tenure in Green Bay, McCarthy guided the team to three NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl XLV victory.

Now, McCarthy and Prescott will work in tandem with dreams of bringing Dallas to heights unseen since the days of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.

For his part, McCarthy likes what he’s seen from Dak Prescott in the early going of training camp. Per NFL.com:

“I think Dak has done a great job with the time away and really the whole group, the quarterback group with the addition of Andy Dalton,” McCarthy said. “The biggest adjustment for Dak is the language, which has been an adjustment for all of us. But he’s looked very good in the throwing segments of the strength and conditioning phase we’re in right now.”

Last year, Prescott put forth his best season to date, throwing for more than 4,900 yards. Now, the youngster gets another weapon in first-round rookie wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who unexpectedly fell to Dallas at No. 18 overall. Lamb joins a talented cast on the outside with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, complimented by backfield sensation Ezekiel Elliott.

If Prescott can replicate his numbers or even improve upon them, Dallas will be under massive pressure to tag him once more for approximately $38 million in 2021. At that point, Prescott would have the leverage to force owner Jerry Jones into essentially paying out the proverbial nose, with the backing of two fantastic seasons.

Should the Cowboys decide they can’t afford (or do not want to afford) Prescott in that scenario, he’d become the most sought-after free agent in NFL history. Only 28 years old at said time, he would be fielding offers from a bevy of teams looking to improve at the most important position on the field.

Regardless of how it shakes, it’s clear the upcoming season couldn’t be bigger for Prescott, McCarthy and their Cowboys.