A shuttle driver said the word “embarrassing” in earshot of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as he was walking to the locker room after Thursday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to NBC 5’s Pat Doney. Prescott seemed irritated and said something to a team employee as he walked into the locker room.

Prescott was asked about the incident after the game.

“Not that they’re wrong, but the thing was, you know, I just, yeah, I don’t know,” Prescott said before elaborating. “Whoever it was, he’s free to speak his mind.”

Prescott threw for more than 300 yards and a touchdown, but the defense struggled to get stops, and two tipped passes turned into interceptions that likely kept points off the board in a game the Cowboys only lost by 8 points.

Prescott was later asked if he found it disrespectful or agreed with their assessment.

“When he said it, I just happened to look at him. And at that point, you know, he looked away, didn’t look. And then when I turned my head back, he said something else. And so that’s the part that, you know, just as a man or as just a person, feel free to speak your mind; just speak it. Don’t cower away from the reaction that you’re going to get. And so, yeah, I mean, if you’re saying it’s embarrassing, say it’s embarrassing. If you’re saying it to me, then say it to me, you know what I mean? Don’t go back on it. So that’s all that was. Hate that it’s even being talked about, to be honest with you,” Prescott said. “It’s a loss we’re supposed to have, definitely supposed to have. To use the word embarrassing, it’s tough. I feel like I’m discrediting the NFL if I use that and particularly the Tampa Bay Bucs and a great Todd Bowles coach and defensive-coached team.”

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer called the comments motivational.

“We believe in what we’re doing,” Schottenheimer said.

The Cowboys have 9 days until they head to Wisconsin to take on the Green Bay Packers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

It’s unclear if Micah Parsons will return from his torn ACL in time for next Sunday’s game.

The Packers are 2-2. They play Chicago this weekend. They just defeated the Bucs last week 17-14.