Dak Prescott has been criticized by Fox Sports Radio host Rob Parker after the Dallas Cowboys quarterback reported a stadium worker who called his performance “embarrassing” following a 24-16 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The incident added another layer of controversy to Dallas’ disappointing home loss, which dropped the Cowboys to 2-3 after five games as Tampa Bay arrived with winless and without their starting quarterback.
Dak Prescott looks back after one word from a stadium worker hits a nerve following Cowboys loss
Tensions rose and as Prescott walked toward the locker room at AT&T Stadium, a worker was caught on camera calling him “embarrassing”, before the Cowboys quarterback pointed the individual out to an employee, who then approached the man.
The worker was later identified as a third-party contractor rather than a direct Cowboys employee.
Prescott subsequently explained that he had no problem with people expressing their opinions but believed they should be prepared to stand by their words.
“Just as a man or as just a person,” Prescott said. “Feel free to speak your mind, just speak it. Don’t cower away from the reaction that you’re going to get.”
Parker, however, took issue with the response, arguing that the quarterback should have addressed the contractor himself rather than involving another employee.
“Dak is a rat. Dak is a rat,” Parker said to The Odd Couple podcast. “If he really had an issue, he could have stepped to the dude. You know what Dak did?
“He went and told another Cowboys employee who then went back to talk to the guy. That’s what makes Dak the rat. If you’re going to say ’embarrassing,’ you should own it.
“Well, Dak, if you were bothered, you should have stepped to the guy and said, ‘Excuse me, did you say something to me?’ and make the guy say it to your face or drop it.
“But that’s not what he did. He went and told somebody like a tattletale. ‘Hey teacher, did you hear? He said something to me.’ Are you serious?”
The AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, at the FIFA World Cup LAPRESSE
Stephen A. Smith defends Dak Prescott
Prescott completed 24 of 42 passes for 316 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His performance was a setback after an encouraging start to the season, which included four touchdown passes against the Washington Commanders in Week 4.
And Stephen A. Smith offered a sharply different perspective of the tunnel incident, defending Prescott and directing his criticism toward the contractor who taunted the quarterback after the loss.
Smith has regularly questioned Prescott’s place among the NFL’s leading quarterbacks, previously naming Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy in his preferred top tier, but this time defended the Dallas player.
“He handled the whole situation in the tunnel with the utmost class,” Smith said. “He is class personified. Dak is the ultimate professional. I’m usually not this guy, but that guy in that tunnel, yelling that at him?
“You’re lucky if you got a job today, you shut your damn mouth. You don’t scream at the quarterback, embarrassing him. Not when you’re an employee there. What’s the matter with you?”