Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has a chance to become the franchise’s all-time leading passer this season. He needs 4,724 passing yards to pass Tony Romo and break the career passing yards record.
Romo and Prescott may be battling for the team’s record, but they aren’t the two Cowboys quarterbacks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It brings up a question: what would Prescott have to do to join Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman one day?
Here at LoneStarLive.com, we’re asking ourselves a question about some Dallas Cowboys players: What would it take for them to make it to the Hall of Fame?
Luckily for us, there’s a tool that can help us answer that question. Pro-Football-Reference.com has a Hall of Fame monitor that gives a Hall of Fame monitor number to every player. The site also has a number for the average Hall of Fame player at every position.
We decided to use this tool to examine which current Cowboys – and a few former ones – could make the Hall of Fame. We’ve looked at the case for right guard Zack Martin and running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Now, let’s look at what Prescott has to do to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
QB Dak Prescott
Age: 30
Seasons: 8
By the numbers: 67% completion percentage, 29,459 passing yards, 202 touchdowns, 74 INTs
Accolades: Offensive Rookie of the Year, 4-time Pro Bowler, 1-time second-team All-Pro
Pro-Football-Reference.com HOF monitor: 44.10
Average NFL HOF QB monitor: 108
On the surface, it looks like Prescott has a long road ahead of him.
Prescott has yet to win a Super Bowl, something the average Hall of Fame quarterback has done twice, according to Pro Football Reference’s monitor. He has yet to go to a NFC Championship, as well. He enters this season with a 2-5 postseason record. For Prescott to seriously be considered for the Hall of Fame, that must improve.
In terms of personal accolades and numbers, however, Prescott is on a good pace. The average Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown for just under 40,000 career yards. Prescott is 10,000 away from that. Because of the current passing trends in the NFL, however, Prescott would likely have to hit the 60,000 mark to seriously be considered.
That would mean Prescott has to play roughly seven to nine more seasons. He’d also have to play at a high level. The average Hall of Fame quarterback has been a Pro Bowler eight times. Prescott is halfway there.
An MVP season would also go a long way for Prescott’s case. He was a runner-up this past season.
There’s certainly work to be done before Prescott is in the conversation. The onus is on him to put himself there. But if this past season was any indication, he may be hitting the prime of his career, making the next few seasons pivotal for his potential candidacy.