Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is impressed by what he’s seen from veteran quarterback Dak Prescott.
“Dak is having his best offseason program that we’ve had,” McCarthy said Wednesday, according to team reporter Nick Harris. “This atmosphere that we’ve practiced in with the quarterback and receivers has really hit the mark. I’ve been very impressed with the quality of work.”
Prescott – who led the NFL in touchdown passes and finished second for MVP in 2023 – agrees with McCarthy, who’s entering his fifth season with Dallas and second as the team’s offensive play-caller.
“The growth in my play and the jump I’m making is the second year in his offense as well, being more comfortable with the footwork,” Prescott said. “The receivers around me, their second year in it; they’re more comfortable; they’re more confident. Things are just faster off the line from the huddle through the play to the scramble drill when it doesn’t work, we are truly understanding. Everybody understands, I guess.”
That’s despite the Cowboys not having All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb, who remains away from the team while negotiating a contract extension.
Lamb and the Cowboys were reportedly waiting for Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings to sign a record deal before speeding up their negotiations. The Cowboys wideout received a call from Prescott as soon as Jefferson reset the wide receiver market by inking a four-year, $135-million contract on Monday.
“CeeDee’s handling business,” Prescott said, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Nobody’s more in his corner than I am, understanding that that’s his chess move, and he’s got to do that. So I know him, I know he’s been working. As I said, I’ve thrown with him. He’s just fine.”
Prescott is entering the last year of his contract and is also negotiating a new deal with Dallas. The star quarterback formed one of football’s top duos alongside Lamb, who had an NFL-high 135 catches last season and posted a 124.3 passer rating when targeted.
