After being limited to eight games in 2024, Dak Prescott has rebounded nicely through the first half of the 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old quarterback currently sports a career-high 70.3-percent completion percentage and is showing no signs of slowing down. Thanks to his continued production, the Cowboys signal caller is confident he can spend close to another decade in the NFL.
“Forties would be a good number,” Prescott estimated when asked about a potential retirement age (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “I’ve been through some injuries; played very physical in college so if I can get to 40 playing at the standard that I want, that would be awesome.”
Prescott has indeed dealt with his fair share of injuries through his first 10 years in the NFL. He was limited to only five games in 2020 after suffering a fractured ankle, and he missed another five contests in 2022 thanks to a thumb injury. A hamstring tear in 2024 represented the third major injury of his career.
To the player’s credit, he’s rebounded nicely in each instance. He finished second in Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2021, tossing a career-high 37 touchdowns while guiding Dallas to 11 wins. His 2022 campaign was arguably the best of his career, as he paced the NFL with 36 touchdowns while finishing second in MVP voting. While the Cowboys’ defense is to blame for the team’s struggles in 2025, Prescott currently has the highest QBR of his career.
Those past injuries could eventually impact his on-field ability, but there’s no real reason to be pessimistic about Prescott’s goal of playing into his 40s. We’ve seen plenty of recent quarterbacks play well past this milestone. Tom Brady played until he was 45 and Drew Brees played until he was 41, while Aaron Rodgers (41) and Joe Flacco (40) are currently starting for teams. If Prescott manages to stay relatively healthy over the second half of his career, there’s no reason why he can’t join that club.
The main question will be if Dak is able to remain under center with the Cowboys. Prescott is currently signed through the 2028 season, which would be his age-35 campaign. If the former fourth-round pick hopes to stick in Dallas, it’ll likely require multiple extensions. The long-time QB once replaced an age-36 Tony Romo (who was dealing with a compression fracture in his back), and Prescott will similarly have to stave off the team’s future investments at the position.
Even if he isn’t allowed to extend his career in Dallas, it sounds like Prescott is motivated to stay on the field as long as possible.
“[My perspective] has definitely changed; I can see it more realistically now,” Prescott said (via Archer). “And I think as much as anything, the fun and the peace that this game still gives me 10 years in is going to be hard [to move on from]. You can’t supplement it, so as long as I can do this at a level that I’m proud and happy with, I’ll keep trying.”