Prescott will take the field on Sunday for career start No. 128 as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback.
It might be hard for some fans of the Dallas Cowboys to believe, but when quarterback Dak Prescott takes the field on Sunday, he’ll be eclipsing a major milestone for longevity in the Cowboys’ history books.
Dallas’ matchup with the Carolina Panthers will be the 128th start at quarterback for Prescott, lifting him over Tony Romo and into second place all-time in starts for a Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Troy Aikman sits on top with 165.
Time really flies, though part of the reason it may seem like Prescott is so quick to hit this number compared to Romo is because … he is.
Cowboys
Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.
SIGN UP
Or with:
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The main difference between Prescott and Romo at Game No. 127 is age. Romo, a late bloomer in NFL terms who was spotted by former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, didn’t take over the Cowboys’ starting gig until he was 26 years old.
He was 35 at the time of his final career start. It came in the 2015 season, one in which he suffered a broken collarbone, returned before he was fully healed, suffered a second collarbone injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Advertisement
No one dreamed at the time that Romo was making his final start when he walked off the field in 2025, but the following season he suffered an injury in training camp, and the Dak Prescott Show officially premiered for the Cowboys. It’s been chugging along ever since.
Romo would appear in one game in 2016 before hanging up his cleats.
Prescott, on the other hand, took over the Cowboys’ starting job from Romo right out of the gate of his rookie season at the ripe young age of 23. He takes the field for his 128th start at 32, a full three years younger than Romo was at the time.
Advertisement
The trajectory of Prescott’s career is much more in line with that of Aikman, who likewise took over the starting job as a rookie and never gave it up, save for a brief Steve Buerlein detour. Prescott’s been the starter since Game 1 of his rookie season, and after Sunday will now look up at only Aikman on the Cowboys’ list of QB starts.
Advertisement
So how do Prescott and Romo compare stat-wise with both currently at 127 starts? In that sense, they’re quite alike. Both fill it up in terms of passing yards and touchdowns — and they’re knotted at QB wins with 78 each.
Check out the chart below for a side-by-side comparison of the major QB stats for Prescott and Romo, along with a note of where that mark currently ranks among all-time Cowboys quarterbacks.
StatDak Prescott (Rank)Tony Romo (Rank)Games started127 (2nd)127 (2nd)Wins78 (t-3rd)78 (t-3rd)Passing yards32,793 (3rd)34,183 (1st)Passing touchdowns223 (2nd)248 (1st)Interceptions85 (6th)117 (3rd)Passer rating (min. 100 att.)98.3 (1st)97.1 (2nd)Playoff starts7 (4th)6 (5th)Playoff wins2 (t-5th)2 (t-5th)Pro Bowls4 (t-3rd)4 (t-3rd)AdvertisementRelated StoriesRead MoreTroy Aikman ‘not surprised’ to see Cowboys RB Javonte Williams thriving in DallasWilliams has been a revelation for the Cowboys so far in 2025 and is coming off a 135-yard outing against the Jets.5 final Cowboys-Panthers thoughts: Can Dallas keep rolling on the road?The Cowboys will look to keep their momentum going with a road matchup against a familiar NFC South foe.Expert predictions for Cowboys-Panthers: Will Dallas’ offense keep cooking in Carolina?The Dallas offense has been a force so far in 2025, led by the stellar play of Dak Prescott.
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Read more on The Dallas Morning News
