FRISCO, Texas -- As the Dallas Cowboys close out a disappointing 2025 season knowing they will miss the playoffs with two games to play, Dak Prescott has one guarantee.
"We won't be back here in this spot," Prescott said Tuesday as the 6-8-1 Cowboys prepare for their game against the Washington Commanders on Christmas.
"I feel like the last few times I've said that were playoff losses," Prescott said. "Each year has its own troubles. Each year has its own highs, lows, ebbs and flows and everything within it. The importance is controlling what you can ... I'm going to do my damnedest, controlling what I can and as you get older, I think having more input, having more say so and being asked more questions from the front office. Maybe there's a little bit more that I can do, and it's not physically or me getting better at my game. Maybe it's speaking up and saying that this will help or I think this can help. Whatever it takes, once again I'm going to do my damnedest and make sure that I'm influencing and encouraging everybody else around me, not just the players, to do the same."
Prescott has no desire of sitting out the final two games. He would not even let a reporter finish the question about the possibility of sitting.
"Absolutely not, especially on Christmas," he said.
He said he would fight coach Brian Schottenheimer if the decision was made to protect the Cowboys' most valuable player.
"Particularly right now, going into this game, getting a chance to play on Christmas day, first time and also just the fact of being away from my family," he said. "I'm not trying to be away from my family if I'm not going to get to play this game and get to do something I love at a high level [and] finish a good individual season, I guess you could say, off strong ... Fifteen games under the belt, I want to make it 17."
Prescott was named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday for the fourth time in his career. He has thrown for 4,175 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
"My success, that accolade is 100% is shared with each and every one of those guys in there," Prescott said of the locker room. "It's pretty cool to be a Pro Bowler but at the end of the day, it's not what we're going for."