Dak Prescott hasn’t been on Dallas Cowboys sideline much, but he’s excelling there too
Dak Prescott has not been on the sideline much in his career.
Even after last year’s season-ending ankle injury in Week 5, Prescott spent the rest of the season healing from surgery and because of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, was not allowed on the sideline during games.
While Prescott has recuperated from a sore shoulder during training camp, however, he has been the Cowboys’ biggest sideline cheerleader during the preseason, including Saturday against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. He’ll be there again when the Cowboys finish the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars at noon Sunday in Arlington.
“He’s antsy. He wants to be out there more than anyone,” Cowboys guard Zack Martin said after Saturday’s game. “I know it’s tough for him, but it’s the smart thing. We need him for the season.”
Both head coach Mike McCarthy and team owner and general manager Jerry Jones have said there is no chance Prescott would play in the preseason finale.
But that hasn’t kept Prescott from remaining steeped in the mix. He’s wearing an earpiece to listen in on offensive coordinator Kellen Moore send in the calls and he’s constantly conferring with the backup quarterbacks Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci.
“He’s very involved talking to the O-Line. He’s talking to the quarterbacks,” Martin said. “He’s all in. He wants to be out there more than anyone. I know when a few Thursdays roll around, he’ll be ready. I think it’s a testament to him. A lot of times when guys are injured, they’re rehabbing and just standing on the sidelines. I think since the day he got hurt, he has been out there in full pads going through his drops, his reads, his progressions and that rubs off on the team.”
Prescott’s dedication through the injury is not lost on his teammates.
“This guy is the leader of our group,” Martin said. “He works as hard as anyone and is out there every day showing everyone how to do it.”
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 6:30 AM.
