Dak Prescott Doesn't Hold Back On "Tough" Schedule as Cowboys QB Sets Clear Expectations

The Cowboys are no strangers to difficult scheduling stretches, especially around Thanksgiving, when they often cram four games into 18 days. But this year’s challenge feels a little different. Dallas will travel to Brazil in Week 3 for a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and with the trip coming so early in the season, there’s no bye week to help them recover afterward. But interestingly, this marks Prescott’s first international appearance. The Cowboys’ last game abroad was in 2014 against the Jaguars in London.

“Sleeping on the plane has never been too difficult for me,” Prescott said on Thursday during the Cowboys’ annual Reliant Home Run Derby, held at the home stadium of the Frisco RoughRiders. “Hopefully it doesn’t start that week.”

Things don’t get any easier from there, as the Cowboys hit the road to face the Houston Texans in Week 4 before quickly turning around for a Thursday night home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Regardless, the Cowboys still have enough time to buckle up for their trip to Brazil and the demanding stretch of games that will follow. According to Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the coaching staff already have a detailed plan in place to help the team handle the long and unusual travel schedule.

Smith said the biggest focus will be making sure players properly take care of their bodies throughout the trip. And, naturally, getting enough sleep. Fortunately for Smith, this year’s turnaround should be a little easier to manage than in previous seasons.

“I got a bigger seat. I graduated,” he said, referring to himself as a veteran as he heads into his fifth season. “I’m extremely happy with those developments.”

With the schedule emerging as a challenging one for the Cowboys, it wouldn’t stop fans and the media from setting high expectations for America’s Team, especially with the offseason they have had. Hence, for Prescott, the goal is simple, as he addressed his expectations for the upcoming NFL season.

Dak Prescott addresses expectations for 2026 season

As a ten-year veteran of the Dallas Cowboys, many would believe the time is running out for Dak Prescott. But looking at his performance in the 2025 season, one could say everything is coming together at the perfect time for Prescott and Co. So, when asked about the expectations for the new league year, Cowboys QB1 had a clear message.

“Yeah, my expectation right now is just to grow every day, grow; this brotherhood obviously built off of what we did last year,” Prescott said, per Jon Machota. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of changes on the defense, so allow those guys to create their identity, allow them to support each other, and allow them to get to know each other and create their culture and who they want to be, and at the same time, keep the team culture and make sure we’re connecting across the ball and are super excited.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JANUARY 04: Dak Prescott 4 of the Dallas Cowboys during the game against the New York Giants on January 4, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswi`re NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 04 Cowboys at Giants EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26010422146

The Dallas QB1 started in all 17 games, recording 404-of-600 passes for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns. He also had 53 rushes for 177 yards and two more scores. On the back of these numbers, Dak Prescott led the league in passing attempts, completions, and passing yards. His 600 passing attempts are the most of his career, while this is the fourth time he’s passed for 4,000 or more yards.

As Prescott continued to perform at this elite level, the Cowboys emerged as one of the best offenses across the league, ranking second in total yards per game (391.9) and seventh in scoring, making them a highly balanced unit with top-10 rankings in both passing and rushing. But the defense struggled to hold its own and recorded one of the worst seasons in Cowboys history.

Whether the Cowboys can finally end their 30-year Super Bowl drought and re-establish themselves as an NFL powerhouse, only time will tell, but with these comments from Dak Prescott, the Dallas faithful can be slightly more optimistic about their chances in the 2026 season.

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