The Dallas Cowboys repeated their familiar pattern once again, with Dak Prescott leading a team that had high Super Bowl expectations from both insiders and external analysts. Prescott believed the 2023 squad was different.

Why?

Prescott was in the NFL MVP conversation this season, wrapping up arguably the best regular season of his career. The Cowboys entered the wildcard round as heavy favorites against the Green Bay Packers, who had a first-year starting QB and the NFL’s youngest roster.

Prescott finished the 2023 regular season ranked in the top five for several major QB statistics. He entered the playoff game against the Packers with 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions, and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).

Despite some skepticism when Jerry Jones fired Kellen Moore, a rising offensive mind, head coach Mike McCarthy took over play-calling duties, leading to an elite Dallas Cowboys offense for most of the year.

Prescott and CeeDee Lamb developed exceptional chemistry, becoming one of the top QB/WR duos in the league.

Beyond Prescott and an explosive offense that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game with 77 regular-season touchdowns, the Cowboys also boasted a defense ranked 5th in the NFL.

However, after another disappointing early playoff exit, the Cowboys entered the offseason with more questions than answers.

Initially, it was expected that Jerry Jones would extend Prescott’s contract to free up cap space and retain their core star players.

But now, it’s evident that both Prescott and the Cowboys are set to let the QB’s current deal run out, making him a free agent after 2024 unless they reach an agreement before the season ends.