There is little doubt Dak Prescott is going to play Week 1 when the Dallas Cowboys square off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. NFL.com’s Gil Brandt just gave an update that is a cause for concern among Cowboys fans. Prescott spoke with him and admitted that he thinks the quarterback will be less than 100 percent when the regular season begins.
Brandt tweeted, “Had an extended talk with Dak Prescott yesterday in Frisco.” He expects to be there when the Cowboys begin the season. It would be difficult to keep him away from playing, but I don’t think he’ll be able to stop. His health is a factor in his season.”
Both Prescott, and the Cowboys maintain that the quarterback is ready for the start. Brandt’s comments question whether Prescott will play in Week 1 or if the quarterback can perform at a high standard. Although the Cowboys tried to minimize Prescott’s shoulder injury, it is not ideal timing for a quarterback who has been out of action since October.
Mike McCarthy, Cowboys’ head coach, has effectively ruled Prescott out of the preseason. This means that Prescott will play in his first meaningful snaps for nearly a year against the Super Bowl champions. During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Prescott once again reaffirmed his status for the regular season.
Prescott stated, “I am still being cautious with everything moving forward. Just trying to make sure that I don’t have setbacks or any other lingering issues throughout the season so I can hit Week one rolling and without speed bumps.”
The Cowboys are simply trying to keep Prescott from getting too much. It is also beneficial to minimize the injury, given the way 2020 unfolded. McCarthy stated that Prescott’s main goal is to increase his throws going into the season.
“If he doesn’t play this week, I wouldn’t play him in the fourth game,” McCarthy told reporters on August 16th. “The fourth game is for players who are competing for the last roster spots. That’s what I believe in. It’s certainly the case this year. It’s evident that it’s needed at a variety of positions, judging by the way things are going. We’ll watch how this week plays out, but I don’t think there is any urgency to see Dak in Houston. This is about the fact that you don’t want to cause a setback. Because of all the work he did over the summer and the OTAs, his volume of throwing up to this point is probably mid-season. We’re trying to get it back to its proper place.
Prescott’s shoulder is a concern. The Cowboys will not be able to answer your questions until Prescott takes the field on September 9. In the days that follow the matchup against Buccaneers, the Cowboys will be closely monitoring Prescott’s shoulder. The Cowboys will continue to monitor Prescott’s health throughout the regular season.