Nick Harris: Dak Prescott is right. He should be chasing Aikman and Staubach, not Romo.

Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Oct 2, 2025

Published in Football

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FRISCO, Texas — After Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott passed Tony Romo for most completions in franchise history (2,901) last Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, he was asked about the first of many records he will eventually have rewritten in the team’s history books.

As he knocks on the door of both passing yards and touchdowns, it will be a question he will have to answer quite a bit as the next couple of seasons carry on. Potentially, on the pace he’s on to begin 2025, he could reach both by the end of this season.

“It’s awesome,” Prescott said. “It’s something I never take for granted. It’s not something that I’m patting myself on the back for, but it’s something that I understand the history before me.”

Prescott has had, let’s say, a unique relationship with Romo. For one, he did essentially retire the one time Cowboys decade-long starter in the span of 15 weeks in 2016. Now, their careers have almost completely mirrored each other. Romo was 78-49 as a starter, Prescott is 77-48-1. Neither have made the NFC championship. Both dealt with factors both in and out of their control that led to a general lack of playoff success. Romo was 2-4 in the postseason, Prescott owns a 2-5 playoff record.

As the record books also start to reflect their careers against one another, Prescott is acknowledging the impact Romo had in Dallas. But in finishing his answer about passing the former four-time All-Pro in completions, he implied that his sights are set higher.

“I understand the players who have come before me and it’s an honor,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I want to win games and I want to chase Roger [Staubach] and Troy [Aikman] and the accomplishments they have.”

What do those two quarterbacks have that no other Cowboys starting quarterback can claim? Super Bowls. Five of them between them, to be exact.

While it may seem like a dig at his predecessor, Prescott should have every right to feel that way. The Cowboys have been marred by the lack of playoff success since Aikman left the building, and there’s nothing from Romo’s career in the win column that should be worth exacerbating.

And that’s nothing against Romo, he had a spectacular career that a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL could only dream of. It’s just the fact of the situation. It’s why he won’t hear his name called at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s likely why he won’t have his name in the team’s Ring of Honor.

So while Prescott still has the opportunity to reach those heights, why should he set his sights lower? He’s playing some of the best football of his career to begin the season, and if this team can ever get its defensive issues figured out, it will have Dallas sniffing playoff contention once again.

“The experience is paying off,” Prescott said about this stage in his career. “On top of the film study, my preparations, and then just the clear communication on when a play’s being not only called for, but what that play’s been designed for and how we feel like getting to attack this and attack that. I think it’s just resulting in me knowing all of that and putting it all together. I’m feeling good out there.”

The confidence is coming through from the Cowboys’ on and off-the-field leader. And he shouldn’t have to apologize to anybody for how high he lets that confidence get, as long as it results in, well, results.

“[I’m] as confident as I’ve ever been,” Prescott said. “I would say I am ... I think that’s why every year I feel like I’ve gotten better, making strides, and never getting complacent in every part of my game. I know sometimes the numbers and things don’t always show that, but I think right now they are.”