NFL Insiders Heap Praise on ‘Out Of His Mind’ Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
Posted October 3, 2025
When it comes to the regular season — maybe the last decade — there might not be a consistently better NFL quarterback over the last 5 years than Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott.
Prescott has become the walking, talking definition of reports of his demise being greatly over exaggerated as he is, once again, playing as good as anyone in the league right now and doing so with no defense to speak of and even, in his last outing, without his best target in NFL All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Dak Prescott is playing out of his mind so far this year,” ESPN’s Mina Kimes said on The Mina Kimes Show with Lenny on October 2. “Which, like, every few years we get this. We get like an insane Dak season where he’s just dropping dimes … like this is prime Dak right here. Even though he’s 10 years into his career. This is prime Dak. He has every single answer.’
Prescott’s play through 4 games — despite a 1-2-1 record — ha been impeccable and he leads the NFL with 1,119 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. He has also, somehow, essentially made the Cowboys must-see TV headed into a Week 5 road game against the New York Jets.
I don’t like this narrative that Dak Prescott just became a really good QB,” Ernie the Cowboys Fan wrote on his official X account on October 2. “He’s led numerous top 5 offenses through out his career under multiple offensive coordinators. He’s been an MVP candidate and an All Pro. Pay attention please.”
Prescott Has Been Even Better Under Pressure
While the debate over how good Prescott has been rages on — there will always be critics — analytics deep dives show us just how incredible he’s been in 2025 and that he’s done so coming off season-ending hamstring surgery that cost him the final 9 games of the year speaks even more to what he’s done
According to Pro Football Focus, no quarterback has been better under pressure in the pocket this season than Prescott — his 90.2 overall grade under pressure is the best for any NFL quarterback in 2025 so far.
As long as Dak is playing like this, the Cowboys can play with anyone,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema said on The PFF NFL Show.
Hands Down, NFL’s Most Divisive QB
Want to start a wild football debate with your friends? Bring up Prescott.
Twice in his career, he’s become the highest paid player in NFL history. First, with a 4-year, $160 million contract in 2020 then again before the 2024 season with a 4-year, $240 million contract after he finished as NFL MVP runner-up in 2023.
For all those mountains of cash from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, it still hasn’t been able to buy the Cowboys even a spot in the NFC Championship Game to this point in Prescott’s career.
In May, ESPN’s Ryan Clark called Prescott the “Most Respected” player in the Cowboys’ locker room.
That characterization was immediately called into question by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who pushed back on the “respect” factor.
“Do people respect the man who they know isn’t going to show up in January?” Smith asked. ” … I think he’s a fabulous regular season quarterback who does an outstanding job of making sure he gets paid.”
Cleveland’s Shutdown Corner on the Move: $100.5 Million Star Trade Buzz Heats Up
The Cleveland Browns are unlikely to make the playoffs, and because of that, could be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
The Browns are off to a 1-3 start and have already made a quarterback change as the rebuild continues. With that, NFL insider Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated predicts the Browns will deal star cornerback Denzel Ward to the Seattle Seahawks for a second-round pick.
The Seahawks have a talented defense, but they could use another reliable cornerback,” Manzano wrote. “Riq Woolen has struggled to play as well as he did in his rookie season in 2022 and has given up chunk plays at crucial times this year.
“Additionally, with Ward in Seattle, it would allow coach Mike Macdonald to move around Devon Witherspoon between inside and outside cornerback positions. The 28-year-old Ward is a four-time Pro Bowler with 18 career interceptions,” Manzano added.
Ward has been an elite cornerback since entering the NFL after the Browns selected him fourth overall in 2018.
Ward is in the midst of a five-year, $100.5 million deal with Cleveland. The lockdown corner has 10 tackles and one interception in 4 games this season with the Browns. In his career, he has recorded 332 tackles, 18 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, and 98 pass defenses.
Insider Gives Browns News on Ward’s Trade Value
Although Manzano only has Cleveland getting a second-round pick for Ward, which is a bit of a surprise, another insider believes that is his perceived value.
In the offseason, ESPN NFL insider Bill Barnwell wrote that Ward wouldn’t fetch a first-round pick in a trade.
“Denzel Ward, 28,is still one of the league’s top cornerbacks,” Barnwell
wrote. “But teams just do not want to send significant draft capital for even great corners after they’ve signed veteran extensions, with Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey both failing to land even a second-round pick for their teams when they were traded around this same age.”
If the Browns do opt to trade Ward at the deadline, Cleveland would start Jarrick Bernard-Converse, who’s currently Ward’s backup.
Cleveland claimed Bernard-Converse off waivers before the start of the season after the New York Jets waived him. In his NFL career, he’s recorded 7 tackles in 15 games.
Cleveland DC Praises Ward’s Coverage
The Browns defense is led by Myles Garrett and Ward, who’s a lockdown corner.
Against the Detroit Lions, Ward recorded his first interception of the season, which Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was pleased with.
“Like the interception that Denzel (Ward) had was a direct result of what the guys did up front,” Schwartz said. “Shelby (Harris) cracked a stunt up front. Quarterback had a guy in his face, he had to elevate the ball high. Denzel did a really good job in the coverage.
“We did overlap and were rewarded with a turnover,” Schwartz added. “So, it all really goes down to pass rush. And, even if you’re not sacking the quarterback, if you’re affecting the quarterback, making him throw before he wants to, or make him make errant throws, then it’s part of it goes. (Carson) Wentz has fumbled a lot in his career. We gotta be aggressive at the ball when we’re in the pocket there because there’s gonna be opportunities there.”
The Browns are set to play the Minnesota Vikings in England in Week 5.
