Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott apologized Tuesday for postgame remarks that appeared to support Cowboys fans who threw trash at referees after the team’s playoff loss Sunday.
“I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday,” Prescott said in a series of social media posts. “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’s Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 in their wild-card matchup. The Cowboys, who were driving at the end of the game with no timeouts left, ran out of time to get off one more play because an official needed to touch the ball before the snap.
Some Dallas fans threw garbage onto to the field in protest. Cowboys defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence held up his helmet to block an incoming bottle as he left the field.
In his postgame press conference, Prescott said it was “sad” that fans were throwing trash at the team. But when a reporter said the trash was aimed at the officiating crew as it left the field, the quarterback responded, “Credit to them, then. Yeah. Credit to them.”
Earlier Tuesday, the National Basketball Referees Association spoke out, calling for the NFL to “take action” in light of Prescott’s remark.
“The NBRA condemns the comments by Dak Prescott condoning violence against game officials,” the statement read. “As an NFL leader, he should know better. We encourage the NFL to take action to discourage this deplorable behavior in the future.”
The NFL Referees Association, however, has made no such statement.
–Field Level Media