Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is very optimistic about Dak Prescott’s return from injury, saying he could start right now if they needed him to.
The Dallas Cowboys are marching towards the 2021 regular season with a major cloud hanging over their quarterback situation.
They have a franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott, but they don’t have him fully healthy.
The good news for Cowboys fans is that Prescott is on track to play as soon as Dallas needs him to play.
That’s according to Jerry Jones, who spoke to 105.3 The FAN on Saturday before the Cowboys’ preseason game against the Texans.
Prescott had just completed a 52-pass workout at AT&T Stadium. What Jones saw encouraged him greatly.
“He threw with authority and accuracy before the game. If we were lining up against Tampa tonight, he’d be starting and we’d feel great about it,” Jones said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Jerry Jones says Dak Prescott could start now if needed
Since Prescott hasn’t practiced in full since the end of July, it’s fortunate the Cowboys weren’t lining up against the Buccaneers on Saturday night for their regular-season opener. That’ll come on Sept. 9.
Still, it’s excellent news to hear the quarterback is far enough along in his recovery from a shoulder strain that he could push to play if it were necessary. For now, the team has slow-played Prescott’s return out of caution, not because of severity.
The clock is ticking for Prescott, though. He hasn’t played since October of last year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury. He will need some quality practice time to get up to speed.
The schedule won’t do anything to help ease Prescott into action. The Cowboys open against Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. They’ll stay on the road in Week 2 with a trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers.