The Dallas quarterback wants a stronger defense and the return of one of his top receivers.

Dak Prescott pushes the Cowboys to re-sign George Pickens and fix the defense.LAPRESSE
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Dak Prescott has handed Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office a clear to-do list. As free agency approaches, the star quarterback emphasized what the team needs to contend in the 2026 playoffs: re-sign their best receiver and overhaul the defense.
The 2025 NFL season was a mixed bag for Dallas. While Prescott, George Pickens, and CeeDee Lamb delivered stellar offensive performances, the defense struggled throughout the year.
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Under coordinator Matt Eberflus, the unit ranked among the league’s worst:
- No. 23Â in rushing yards allowed: 125.5 per game
- No. 30Â in total yards allowed: 377 per game
- No. 32Â in passing yards allowed: 251.5 per game
- No. 32Â in points allowed: 30.1 per game
The poor results led to Eberflus’ dismissal and the hiring of Christian Parker as defensive coordinator. But for Prescott, that move alone isn’t enough.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2018026562390475233&lang=es&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marca.com%2Fen%2Fnfl%2Fdallas-cowboys%2F2026%2F02%2F03%2F69815e09268e3e4d7c8b4594.html&sessionId=2e6c6b5b5ac069dbcbda810962d3466e31af2eaf&siteScreenName=MarcainEnglish&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px
Prescott’s wish list for Jerry Jones
In an interview with The Athletic, Prescott addressed the team’s biggest weakness. “We know we got to get that side of the ball right,” he said, referring to the defense.
He also stressed the importance of offensive stability. “We’ve got to make sure that we aren’t complacent with what we’ve done on our side of the ball,” he cautioned.
Prescott pointed to one crucial signing:
“We’ve got to get one of our guys signed and make sure that we take a big step on the offense as well.”
That “guy” is George Pickens. The 24-year-old wide receiver posted 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns last season, but he’s set to hit free agency.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2018099121375109627&lang=es&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marca.com%2Fen%2Fnfl%2Fdallas-cowboys%2F2026%2F02%2F03%2F69815e09268e3e4d7c8b4594.html&sessionId=2e6c6b5b5ac069dbcbda810962d3466e31af2eaf&siteScreenName=MarcainEnglish&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px
George Pickens’ contract situation
Pickens joined Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year, $3.7 million deal, making him an unrestricted free agent this March.
Fans are divided. Some view Pickens as too volatile, while others believe his talent outweigh






