Dak Prescott Fires Back At Critics of Struggling Dallas Cowboys Teammate Terence Steele

Dak Prescott Fires Back At Critics of Struggling Dallas Cowboys Teammate Terence Steele

FRISCO - There is something the critics of Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Terence Steele should know ... not that this knowledge will erase the fact that the offensive tackle struggled mightily in the 28-23 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday.

Steele, from the spring 2020 day he arrived here as a raw rookie, undrafted and unheralded out of little Cibolo, Texas and Texas Tech ... has been a mensch. An adult. A man.

And so while there is value and valor in quarterback Dak Prescott coming to the defense of his right tackle - who on the way to allowing the two costly sacks also allowed a ridiculous eight pressures. 

Said Dak: “Terence would be the first to tell you that he wants to play better and I know he’s going to play better. He’s a guy who’s faced this adversity before.''

Indeed, and this present "adversity'' is in part the result his rehab from a catastrophic knee injury suffered late in the 2022 season. 

Said coach Mike McCarthy: “Like anything, anytime anyone has a major joint injury, that first year back, it’s a challenge. There are things he has to continue to work through because of the injury. … But yes, it wasn’t his best game …

“He is definitely still fighting back a little bit from the injury.”

Adding to the headline-grabbing worthiness of the struggles is the fact that Steele, 26, just signed a five-year contract extension with the Cowboys worth $82.5 million ... making him in essence a $14 million APY player.

Cowboys’ Tyron Smith Future: ‘Surprise’ Prediction Earns ‘Golden Sombrero’

Run-blocking has always been his strength, not pass-blocking; that's been known. But at his salary - or at any salary, really - Steele needs to improve greatly, and he needs to do it on the fly. 

His track record says it can be done. So does his quarterback.

"He’s not going to allow one game to put him down in (the dumps) and he’s not going to allow one game to dictate the way he plays the rest of the season,'' Prescott said of Steele, who gets a chance to rebound this upcoming Sunday against the New York Giants.