Dak Prescott jokingly beefing with friends who are Saints fans: ‘Who Dak?’

For the first time in over half a decade, the New Orleans Saints will make the 500-mile journey across the Bayou State and into Dallas to face off against the Cowboys in Jerry World.

A native of Sulphur, Louisiana, star Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott prepares for a rare matchup with his home state Saints, clarifying his allegiance to America’s team in a series of lighthearted texts with his childhood family and friends.

“I’ve just kind of sent them an emoji and said Go Cowboys,” Prescott told reporters Thursday. “They’ve fired back with ‘Who Dat?’ I wrote back ‘Who Dak?’ Good playful stuff back and forth.” Prescott was asked to clarify which emoji he sent, replying simply with just “The finger.”

Despite the relative proximity of the two franchises, Dallas and New Orleans have faced off just 31 times since the Saints entered the NFL in 1967, with Dallas holding an 18-13 all-time series lead. The most recent meeting came at the New Orleans Superdome in 2021, where Prescott threw for 238 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ 27-17 victory.

From the suburbs of Lake Charles, Prescott grew up just 20 miles from the Texas border, and while many of his hometown friends were Saints fans the pressures of his Cowboys fanatic father left the future Pro Bowler with only one option. Prescott has lived out his childhood dream for the last seven years, starring under center for Dallas, and he ensured his future with the club this offseason with a mammoth 4 year, $240,000,000 contract that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

“I wanted to be a Cowboy,” he said. “I wanted to stay a Cowboy and it got done…. “In any negotiation, one side wants something and the other side wants something else. You’ve got to meet in the middle. I’m just glad it’s done and it works for everyone.” Prescott later added: “I had an obligation to the league and to the other quarterbacks. It’s because I was up (due) and the next guy, I expect to beat me.”

The Mississippi State alum’s historic contract came after a standout 2023 season, where Prescott silenced many of his detractors’ turnover concerns while finishing second in Most Valuable Player voting. Prescott completed a career-high 69.5 percent of his passes for 4,516 yards, throwing 36 touchdowns to just nine interceptions as Dallas reached 12 wins for the third consecutive season.

Sunday’s opener saw Prescott fall short of this explosive standard, throwing for just 179 yards, but two crucial takeaways from the Cowboys defense and a punt return touchdown saw Dallas surge to a 27-3 lead just after halftime. The Cowboys look for another win on Sunday, with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.