The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their 30th season since last lifting a Lombardi Trophy.
Dak Prescott is entering Year 10 in the league, without a trip past the NFC Divisional Round to show for it.
A three-time Pro Bowler with an Offensive Rookie of the Year award on his résumé, Prescott is unconcerned with the individual accolades as time keeps marching on. He's singularly focused on what is always the goal for America's Team -- albeit one fallen short of for decades -- capturing a Super Bowl.
"I wanna win a championship," Prescott said, via the team's website. "The legacy and the things, and whatever comes after I finish playing, will take care of itself. I wanna win a championship. Be damned if it's just for my legacy, for this team, for my personal being, for my sanity -- the legacy will take care of itself. I have to stay where my feet are."
For the third time in five years, Prescott is preparing for a new season having missed considerable time the previous campaign. He played eight games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury. Prescott didn't put up his usual gaudy numbers while healthy, throwing for 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions with 1,978 yards, but the offense regressed even further in his absence.
Dallas finished 21st in scoring, the team's worst outing since 2018.
Prescott must stay upright for the Cowboys to have a semblance of a shot, but there's plenty more stacked against them even if the signal-caller enjoys good injury fortune throughout his age-32 season.
Dallas' division promises to be a bloodbath. Although a berth in the NFC Championship Game has eluded the Cowboys for years now, the NFC East sent two representatives -- the Eagles and Commanders -- to that stage last season. Philadelphia went on to win it all and heads into the 2025 season once again sporting stellar balance, while Washington is an up-and-comer displaying a new spark under quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Cowboys must get past both of them before they set their sights on a ring, and they'll be trying to do so with a first-year head coach in Brian Schottenheimer.
He served as Dallas' offensive coordinator from 2023-24, so Schottenheimer has familiarity with the team. There's an argument to be made that the Cowboys would've benefited with a bigger departure from the norm, but the transition from Mike McCarthy to Schottenheimer will nonetheless be quicker than it would have been otherwise as Prescott and Co. look to get on the same page for the mission ahead.
And Dallas did take big swings elsewhere, especially in trading for George Pickens to overhaul a passing offense that has placed so much solely on CeeDee Lamb's shoulders in recent years.
"It starts with personnel," Prescott said regarding being pleased with the club's direction. "The changes we've made and not just on offense, but on defense as well -- bringing in people, obviously, George really opens up things for all those other receivers alongside CeeDee Lamb\ and , and the way the (running) backs have approached this thing, I'm super excited.
"I think Schotty's done a great job in minicamp of putting guys in places, putting guys in space and allowing guys to see how he's gonna use them."
Optimism and offseason tinkering alone won't restore the Cowboys to championship contention, but Prescott sees the process working.
Now, he must see it through to a Super Bowl.
There will be plenty of time after that to reflect on what it means for his legacy.