Lone Star Legend: Dak Prescott shatters Tony Romo's record and becomes the Cowboys' all-time king

D ak Prescott has officially written his name at the top of another major Dallas Cowboys record, surpassing Tony Romo to become the franchise's all-time leader in touchdown passes.

The milestone arrived during Sunday's 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Prescott entered the afternoon needing one touchdown pass to move beyond Romo's mark of 248, and he ultimately finished with four scoring throws, taking his career total to 249.

The record-breaking play came late in the fourth quarter, when Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb for a 24-yard touchdown.

It was the second touchdown connection between the quarterback and wide receiver on the afternoon and gave Prescott sole possession of the franchise record.

For Prescott , the achievement represented the culmination of a belief he had carried since childhood.

“Sometimes it’s great being naïve, and I was a little naïve just growing up thinking that I could do this and I could do that, but yet I think it puts such an insurmountable belief in my head that I can accomplish whatever I want to accomplish,” Prescott said after the match.

“And any thought that I said or anything that I wanted to do, I mentioned it and I said it out loud. I had a mom and I had brothers who poured gas on those thoughts, who told me I could. And as I said, you can call it arrogance, you can call it confidence, belief, whatever you need to. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have those thoughts, if I didn’t believe in myself like that.”

The quarterback's words also reflected the significance of the people who helped him reach the NFL.

Prescott grew up in Haughton, Louisiana, and was selected by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Ten seasons later, he has moved past one of the most prominent quarterbacks in franchise history.

Romo's 248 touchdown passes had stood as the Cowboys ' benchmark, but Prescott has now taken the record for himself.

Prescott's record night delivers a much-needed Cowboys victory

The individual achievement was accompanied by an important result for Dallas. Prescott completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, producing a passer rating of 143.8 as the Cowboys earned their first victory of the 2026 season and moved to 1-1.

CeeDee Lamb was central to the performance, catching eight passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson also caught two touchdown passes from Prescott , giving the quarterback four different scoring connections during the game.

The victory also marked another strong performance by Prescott against Washington at home. He entered the contest with a 7-0 record against the Commanders in Dallas and maintained that unbeaten mark with Sunday's result.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised the work that Prescott puts in away from the spotlight, emphasizing that the record is the product of years of preparation.

“I just think it’s such a statement for how he did it, how he does it,” Jones said. “And he does it with hard, hard work. And he makes it look pretty easy out there. But anybody that knows … you guys that see him at practice and training camp [know] that he’s the hardest-working guy on the team. So I’m proud for him.”

Prescott , meanwhile, made it clear that he does not view 249 as a finishing point.

“I want to double it,” Prescott said. “Plan on playing for a while. So just getting started.”

That ambition could put further distance between Prescott and Romo in the coming seasons. Prescott has already established himself as the Cowboys ' leader in passing touchdowns, and his next targets include other significant marks across the franchise's record book.

His record-breaking afternoon also came with a personal element. Prescott said after the game that he felt the presence of his late mother, Peggy, during the touchdown that put him at the top of the Cowboys' list.

He also used the moment to encourage young people who may not have the same resources or circumstances as others: “And I just encourage the next little kid out there who comes from the trailer park in Louisiana or wherever he may come from and doesn’t know if he can do it or have the resources or have the family that you’re right, believe in what you want to believe in and find the people that support that, and you can do it.”

Prescott's record is now official: 249 touchdown passes and counting. After a decade in Dallas, the quarterback has moved past Romo and taken another place of prominence in Cowboys history. And if his own words are any indication, he intends to keep adding to the number.