It wasn’t a banner season for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. Despite the offense’s success, the team finished under .500 for the first time in a season where franchise quarterback Dak Prescott started at least half of the games.
2025 was one of Prescott’s best seasons in his 10-year career, however, which made sense since it was an odd-numbered year. Never being able to string two great seasons together, It’s in the even numbered years that the team’s QB has struggled, mostly because he hasn’t been able to stay healthy this decade. If the Cowboys want to compete for a Super Bowl, Prescott must avoid the injury bug and play well in a calendar year that ends with an even number.
This has been a seven-season pattern with Prescott, who has excelled in
the odd numbered years. In the last four, Prescott has thrown for at least 30 touchdowns, had his four highest passing yardage years and has maxed out at 11 interceptions. Prescott’s averages in the last four odd-numbered seasons are 279.4 passing yards per game, 33.25 TDs, and 10 interceptions, statistics that would have put him top 5 for passing yards and touchdowns in each of the last four seasons.
He’s also missed just one game in those four seasons.
In his last three even-numbered seasons, Prescott has suffered two season-ending injuries, failed to throw for over 23 scores and led the NFL in interceptions once. There was some bad luck in Prescott’s league-leading 15 picks in 2022, but he didn’t play his best ball that year, either.
In 2020, there was the dislocated ankle, followed by a broken thumb that caused him to miss five games in 2022. A torn hamstring in 2024 saw Prescott miss the final nine games of a season that wasn't going well.
The organization has tied so much to Prescott that it’s hard for the team to survive when he goes down for an extended length of time. Dallas did win in 2022 with backup Cooper Rush starting five games but won just eight games combined when Prescott was out for the season in 2020 and 2024.
With a healthy Prescott in 2025, the Cowboys’ offense was one of the best in the league and the veteran QB was in the top 5 for passing yards, ypg game and passing scores. It’s a unit that can get even better if their top wide receiver tandem of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens play all year together. The offensive line should improve with Tyler Guyton and Tyler Booker heading into their second and third seasons, as well.
The running game with Javonte Williams should also continue to be a strength after finishing ninth in the league in rushing last year.
Prescott will be 33-years old for the 2026 season, but his play in 2025 showed no indication that he’s slowing down. When healthy, Prescott is a top QB in the game.
One of the best abilities in the NFL is availability, and Prescott hasn’t been on the field enough in the even-numbered seasons recently to give the Cowboys a chance. That cannot be the team’s trend for 2026. Prescott needs to find a way to play in a majority of the team’s games this season.
If that doesn’t happen, the Cowboys can forget all the pre-season Super Bowl talk. Let the curse of the even year die for Prescott and the Cowboys in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Prescott, Cowboys have to break even-numbered year jinx
