Alright Cowboys fans, after researching which Hall of Fame quarterback Dak Prescott most resembles in his playing style and stats, the result is surprising.
We all know for nearly a decade, Dak Prescott has been one of the NFL’s most debated quarterbacks.
Some people praise Prescott as a top-tier quarterback, while others are quick to shoot down any notion of him being a good quarterbackof him being a good quarterback.
Fans know Prescott does not fit the Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Patrick Mahomes mold, but fans and analysts have struggled to give him a good comparison.
If you remove all the noise surrounding Dak Prescott, ignore all the hot-takes, and look strictly at statistics and play style, a Hall of Fame quarterback comparison starts to come into focus.
The comparison will be surprising to fans, but after this article maybe fans will find it encouraging.
The closest match, by statistics, by leadership traits, and career arc, is Steve Young. The San Francisco 49ers legend whose efficiency dominated the 90s.
A Match Built on Efficiency, Accuracy, and Control
A lot of fans may not remember, but Steve Young never had the biggest arm, he didn’t throw 70-yard bombs, and he didn’t overpower defenses, he dissected them.
Young became an NFL legend because he had a formula to win games, elite accuracy, efficient decision-making, and just enough mobility to keep defenses honest.
Those three traits are the same traits we see when Dak Prescott is playing his best football.
Fans, analysts, and really anyone who watches football knows the quarterback rating is a pretty good barometer of a quarterback is doing well.
When we look at the career quarterback rating of Dak Prescott up against Steve Young, we get a match.
Steve Young had a career quarterback rating of 96.8 in his 15-year career. Dak Prescott is currently sitting at a quarterback rating of 98.6.
When we break it down further:
Steve Young had 33,124 passing yards, an 8.0 yard average, 232 touchdowns, and 107 interceptions.
Dak Prescott has 34,698 passing yards, a 7.6 yard average, 238 touchdowns, and 90 interceptions.
Very similar to this point, but Prescott at this point is in year ten, while Young retired after fifteen years.
Accuracy in the Intermediate Game: Their Shared Superpower
Steve Young was an intermediate throw maestro and guess who else thrives in that area? Dak Prescott.
This area of the field for the quarterback is where windows shrink, linebackers wait, and anticipation and timing matters more than arm strength.
Steve Young made a living in this area with some big-time receivers like Jerry Rice. Dak Prescott has had the same luxury, with CeeDee Lamb and now George Pickens.
Accuracy is a big part of this area of the field.
Young had a career completion percentage of 64.3%.
Prescott has a career completion percentage of 67.1%.
Both quarterbacks are top tier at completing difficult throws and doing it often.
A lot of people would call this drinking and dunking, but this is precision, timing, and quarterbacks playing chess, not checkers.
Quarterback Runs Used With Care
We know Dak can run, he just chooses when to run.
That’s exactly how Steve Young played the game.
Young didn’t have many designed quarterback runs during a game. Neither does Prescott. Instead, both players use their legs strategically.
They both use their legs to evade pressure, extend plays, throw from a cleaner area, and can get red-zone touchdowns when a team least expects them to take off.
Dak currently has 31 rushing touchdowns and Steve Young ended his career with 43 rushing touchdowns. They can both say they do not run for volume, but with intention.
They are both pass first quarterback, who have a dangerous trait waiting for the right moment.
Parallel Career Arcs
Dak Prescott was drafted in the 4th round to back up Tony Romo, while Steve Young was drafted and went to the USFL to start his career.
Steve Young was written off as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start his NFL career. Dak Prescott was thrown into a starting position when Romo went down with an injury, but this is not where the similarities begin.
Both quarterbacks reached MVP type of play in their late 20’s and early 30’s, which is later than most superstars, and both have battled stories that had little to their actual performance.
If you had made it this far, you may be saying to yourself, “but Steve Young won three Super Bowls”, and you would be right.
Steve Young won his first Super Bowl as a starter in 1995, ten years after he was drafted. His other two Super Bowls, in 1989 and 1990, he was the backup.
Dak is in year ten now and playing very good football.
Embrace the Steve Young Comparison
I’m not sure why everyone thinks all quarterbacks should look like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Troy Aikman, or Dan Marino to be considered elite, but that’s not true.
It wasn’t true in the 90’s and it’s not true today.
Steve Young won because he was accurate, efficient, smart, mobile when needed, composed, and consistent.
Dsk Prescott is all of those things right now.
This comparison is not about nostalgia, it’s about recognizing talent when many others don’t.
We are watching Dak Prescott play the position in a way that mirrors one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
If Prescott pairs his efficiency with deep playoff success, he will be viewed the same way Steve Young eventually was, a quarterback whose greatness was always there, but not appreciated.
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