The National Football League recently unveiled its broadcast lineup for the upcoming season, exposing a significant scheduling disparity. Five teams—the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders—received zero primetime slots, while the Dallas Cowboys were granted six such appearances. This imbalance raises questions about how television popularity relates to on-field success and betting confidence.
Betting Markets and Expert Opinions
According to data tracked on Polymarket's NFL Champion 2027 page, the Dallas Cowboys currently hold a mere 3 percent chance to win Super Bowl LXI. This low probability aligns with the skepticism expressed by renowned sports columnist Jason Whitlock. Whitlock highlighted the team's bleak expectations by reposting a viral prediction from NFL Memes on X, which featured an image of quarterback Dak Prescott captioned: "Dallas Cowboys eliminated from NFL Playoffs."
Primetime Slots and Performance History
The 2026 season would mark the Cowboys' fourth consecutive year with at least six primetime games. Over the past four seasons, their records have been 12-5 in 2022, 2023, and 2024, followed by a disappointing 7-10 in 2025. Their playoff outcomes include a divisional round loss and two wild card round defeats, and last year they failed to make the playoffs entirely. This track record explains why Whitlock predicts they will miss the 2026 NFL playoffs once again.
Whitlock has been critical of Dak Prescott for an extended period. In September 2022, he stated, "Greed and ego, that is what undermined Dak Prescott. His greed and ego, and his agent's greed and ego. This is not 20/20 hindsight, I said it the entire time: Don't pay Dak. Don't give him too much money. Once those expectations elevate, it's going to elevate for his teammates, it's going to elevate for the fan base." He added, "Next thing you know, he's going to be sitting on a bunch of money and be miserable. And be in the frying pan." Whitlock further commented, "Dak Prescott is a nice guy and a great guy, but he's just getting paid too much money for his limited amount of talent."
Dak Prescott's Contracts and Playoff Losses
Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys in March 2021. In 2022, the Cowboys went 12-5 but lost in the divisional round. In 2023, they again went 12-5 but lost in the wild card round. In September 2024, Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million contract extension. That season, the Cowboys went 12-5 but lost once more in the wild card round. This marks three NFL playoff eliminations since those massive contract signings. In 2025, they finished 7-10 and missed the playoffs entirely. Whitlock's prediction appears to be materializing.
This year, Prescott's $40 million base salary was converted into a signing bonus, creating $30 million in salary cap relief for 2026. However, such financial adjustments cannot compensate for the Cowboys' extended championship drought. The franchise has not won a Super Bowl in over 30 years, and the fan base is growing increasingly impatient. The recent NFL Memes post predicting Prescott's elimination from the 2026 playoffs has only added to the despair.
Outlook for the Cowboys
The quarterback must feel the weight of an entire franchise. Will Dallas break free from its misery, or endure yet more suffering? Only time will reveal the answer.
