Dak Prescott is having another monster season for the Dallas Cowboys. With every new performance, the 26-year-old seems en-route to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the franchise.

While the days of being “America’s Team” may be long gone, the Cowboys have a history of employing great quarterbacks, many of whom are among the best. Where exactly does Prescott rank?

Dak Prescott’s emergence 

Prescott had an immediate impact on the Cowboys when he entered the league in 2016. With the future of Tony Romo still in limbo, he ensured a new era when he led the Cowboys to a 13-3 first season. Since then, he proves to be one of the more promising young quarterbacks in the NFL. As such, more pressure is put on him to return the Cowboys to their glory days. 

Prescott’s numbers speak for themselves. He’s one yard shy of 13,000 throwing yards. He’s thrown 79 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, and he’s currently sporting the best Quarterback Rating of his career at 81.1. Prescott’s rushing game is no joke either.

Perhaps what endears Prescott to fans, teammates, and coaches most is his leadership. From the first moment he stepped onto the field, he has demonstrated a natural ability to lead. Prescott holds meetings outside of the ones the coaches call, he makes decisions on the field, and he isn’t afraid to give his teammates advice. This is why he’s often compared to many of the Cowboys’ best. 

Roger Staubach

The face of the Cowboys’ two Super Bowls in the ’70s, Roger Staubach was a one-team quarterback who gave the Cowboys his all. Although it took him five years to become a full-time starter, Staubach earned his spot as the starter by the second half of the decade even though he was already the 1971 Super MVP.

Prescott was about to get his spot right away, but Staubach will always have a special place in the hearts of Cowboys fans.

Tony Romo

Although Tony Romo’s year-to-year numbers made him one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, he was never able to translate this to postseason success. In some ways, this is an unfair perception for the 13-year QB. On the other hand, it’s a snapshot of the Cowboys’ last two decades in the NFL.

Romo had his struggles, but the Cowboys consistently shot themselves in the foot under Jerry Jones. He rarely had a contending roster behind him, so Romo’s lack of a Super Bowl ring can’t be held against him. 

Troy Aikman 

Troy Aikman isn’t just one of the best Cowboys’ quarterbacks of all time; he’s one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever. Not only was he the face of a Cowboys’ team that won three Super Bowls from 1993 to 1996, but he did so with one of the most accurate arms in football.

For Prescott to overtake him, the young QB would not only have to keep up his current performance, but he’d also have to hoist the trophy a few times.

Prescott’s place

Prescott will need prolonged success to join these three names in the minds of Cowboys’ fans, but if he does, then he’ll be loved for life. Even decades removed from these careers, fans still revere Aikman, Staubach, and Romo. Being a star quarterback is tough, but being the star quarterback of the Cowboys is a lifetime title.