Carton goes off on Dak Prescott after Cowboys QB’s ‘urgency’ remarks - “Hasn't been good enough”
Dak Prescott has entered a make-or-break stage of his contract and as he enters his age 30 season, many are still not sold on him as a quarterback.
In a statement made via Dallas Cowboys media and the "Craig Carton Show," he spoke about needing to take the season with "a sense of urgency."
Speaking in response to those remarks, NFL analyst Carton spoke on the show, dumping more pressure on the quarterback. Here's how he put it:
“He's playing with a sense of urgency. He finally got that road playoff win off his back last year and I know a lot of people were like, 'Well, come on, man. Tampa stunk last year. Anybody could have beaten Tampa…'"
He continued, claiming that urgency is always front and center as a member of the NFL:
"You only get 17 of these games. You're not going to play 500 games in your professional career, so I don't think there's more urgency. He wants to win every time he goes out on the field, he just hasn't been good enough to do it.”
.@craigcartonlive calls Dak Prescott the BIGGEST FAILURE that ever started for the Dallas Cowboys 😳
“He wants to win every time he goes out on the field, he just hasn’t been good enough to do it.” https://t.co/7yGndKpdwF
How many games will Dak Prescott play in his NFL career?
At this point, the final number Dak Prescott will reach is anyone's guess. Carton threw out the "500" number as an impossible figure.
Heading into 2023, the quarterback has played 97 games and is probably over the halfway point of his career. He could play until he's 40, but assuming he's about halfway done, he will finish with about 200 games played.
In comparison, Tony Romo, who had his career cut short by injuries and Prescott's rise, played in 156 games before leaving the sport after his age 36 season.
Troy Aikman, the next most recent long-time franchise quarterback, played 165 games in his career.
Based on these precedents, Prescott's actually well over halfway through his time with the Cowboys. Romo missed significant time in his age 28 season and played in just six games in his age 30 season.
Prescott has also had a similar one-two punch of attendance issues on the doorstep of 30 in 2020 and 2022. However, Romo then went on to play for another four essentially unscathed seasons after his age-30 injury.
Based on the Cowboys' history at the position, one could put a pencil line for about another four seasons guaranteed for Dak Prescott, assuming he entices the team to sign him up for another deal.