Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Apologizes for Condoning Fan Violence Against Refs: ‘My Words Were Uncalled For’

Dak Prescott apologized for condoning fans throwing objects at the referees after the Dallas Cowboys were knocked out of the playoffs Sunday afternoon.

Dallas lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 following a controversial play call which saw Prescott run a quarterback draw with 14 seconds left and no timeouts. As Prescott and his offensive line were set to stop the clock in hopes of running one more play, the umpire came charging through to spot the ball, but time ran out, ending the game abruptly.

After the game, Prescott responded to a question about Cowboys fans throwing objects on the field, calling it “sad” because the quarterback believed the crowd was targeting his teammates. When Prescott was corrected and informed those objects were actually directed at the refs, the quarterback changed his tune, saying, “credit to them then.”

“The fans felt the same way as us,” Prescott added. “I guess that’s why the refs took off and got out of there so fast.”

Two days later, Prescott thought better of his comments and went on Twitter to apologize for condoning fan violence against NFL referees.

I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday.

I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.

— Dak Prescott (@dak) January 19, 2022

“I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday. I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair.

“I hold the NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs. The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter.

“That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry,” Prescott added.

Prescott is currently a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes a player for his excellence on and off the field, honoring their volunteer and charity work. But the usually respectable quarterback received backlash for his initial comments against NFL officials, specifically from the NBA referees association.

“The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials,” the NBRA wrote on Twitter. “As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.”