Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman provided Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott with what may be perceived as a back-handed compliment on Fox Sports' Speak For Yourself, calling Prescott the most “confident, average” quarterback to ever play the game.

To be fair, Merriman really did seem to mean it as a compliment, saying he would definitely be able to play with Prescott as a teammate.

You can certainly see where Merriman is coming from, too.

Just take the Cowboys' Wild Card Round win over the Seattle Seahawks, for example. Prescott was not great. He completed 22 of his 33 passes for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception, good for a passer rating of 83.6. He also carried the ball six times for 29 yards and the game-winning score.

Now, after the game, Prescott drew praise from everyone for his performance, particularly due to his gutsy run toward the goal-line in the fourth quarter in which he was upended by a Seattle Seahawks defender.

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However, Prescott's outing was merely average. That being said, he led the Cowboys in such a way that inspired them to believe in him and believe that they could win the game, which is an important quality for a quarterback.

Even this season, Prescott was solid, but he was far from great, throwing for 3,889 yards, 22 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while completing 67.7 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 96.9.

He is essentially a game manager who takes good care of the football and who can also make big plays in big spots.

Is he a Super Bowl-caliber signal-caller? We'll see, but you absolutely have to admire the way he carries himself. The kid is a class act.