Dak Prescott: My future's tied to Brian Schottenheimer, so let's be best we can

The Cowboys introduced their new head coach Brian Schottenheimer at a press conference this week and executive vice president Stephen Jones said one of the top considerations that led to the choice was "what’s in the best interest of the quarterback."

That quarterback was sitting just a few feet away from Jones and Schottenheimer when that comment was made. Dak Prescott was seated front and center at the team's facility and said after the press conference that he was there because Schottenheimer "means a lot to me." He also noted that the coach will have a lot to do with how the next chunk of his career plays out.

"Yeah, just wanted to go support him," Prescott said, via the team's website. "One, proud of him, proud of taking advantage of this opportunity, and two, I know the approach he's going to have. I wanted to show him, hey, I'm going to be here with you and for you. Not only, what, he signs for four years? I got four years left on my contract. He's tied directly to my future, so let's go be the best that we can in these four years."

Prescott was hurt for much of 2024, but he had one of his best seasons in 2023 and he said his conversations with Stephen and Jerry Jones found agreement that continuity was something to prioritize with the team's next head coach. Prescott said that Schottenheimer's leadership was also something that has stuck out to him.

"They were looking for the continuity, but I spoke on the man he's been in these three years, how consistent he's been, and as I've said, through the highs and the lows," Prescott said. "Understanding that he's comfortable having tough conversations, and as he said in there, we've had some tough conversations, we've had some back-and-forth. And at the end of those disagreements, pure disagreements, there's been a handshake and an understanding of each other's side. You can only gain respect from somebody that's at that point. So yeah, it was easy for me to speak on."

The Cowboys weren't firing on all cylinders when Prescott was healthy in 2024, but having the quarterback on the field is a necessary step toward the team finding their way to the kind of success that will quiet the many doubts that their head coaching hire has raised this week.