This Is The Cowboys’ Time of Year’ — Ex-Patriots Star Not Buying Into Hype Around Dak Prescott’s Crew

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Former New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel isn’t buying into the early-season hype around the Dallas Cowboys.

As NFL training camps ramp up, Dallas is once again receiving plenty of media attention. But Samuel took the opportunity to remind fans that midsummer Cowboys hype has become an annual ritual across the league.

Ex-Patriots Star Asante Samuel Takes a Shot at Cowboys

Samuel shared his thoughts on X with a short but sarcastic message aimed at Dallas: “This is the Cowboys time of year.”

The two-time Super Bowl champion didn’t need to say much more. His message reflected the familiar criticism that surrounds the Cowboys every summer: plenty of optimism in August, followed by questions when the games start to matter.

Dallas missed the postseason in 2025 after finishing 7-9-1, marking the second consecutive year the franchise failed to reach the playoffs. That recent track record made Samuel’s jibe particularly timely.

Few NFL teams generate as much offseason discussion as Dallas. Highlight plays from camp, player soundbites, and roster projections quickly turn into big-time talking points whenever America’s Team is involved, with quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb taking the center stage.

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Prescott is coming off an impressive 2025 season. The veteran quarterback played all 17 games, completing 67.3% of his passes for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He also earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection. Those numbers saw him rank #6 in PFN’s QB Impact Rankings , only behind Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, and Sam Darnold.

Individually, he had plenty to be proud of. However, those accolades failed to translate into team postseason success.

Prescott Acknowledges the Pressure Heading Into 2026

After Dallas missed the postseason for the second consecutive year, Prescott made it clear that returning to the playoffs is the bare minimum for 2026.

“It [expletive]. Definitely. But we’re pushing. That’s our goal. That’s a minimum,” Prescott said earlier this year.

His comment sums up the challenge facing Dallas. The Cowboys have enough talent to generate excitement every summer, but they need to turn that talent into meaningful postseason success. With much of the offense returning and the defense getting a new look under coordinator Christian Parker, Dallas will have another opportunity to prove its critics wrong.

Until Dallas turns its regular-season talent into a deep playoff run, comments about “Cowboys’ time of year” aren’t going anywhere. For now, though, Dallas has the chance to change the narrative once the games begin.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .

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