Cowboys QB Dak Prescott expects to be ‘involved’ in OTAs, could ‘play game today’
It’s been an unusual, but in some ways familiar, offseason for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Since suffering a season-ending torn hamstring in a Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Prescott has been rehabbing over the offseason for the second time in his career after breaking his ankle in 2020. While this recovery pales in comparison to the one five years ago, he has had to take more precautions in getting back to full speed than he would in any other offseason.
“It’s just the work that I’ve been putting into it,” Prescott said. “I’ve put in the work of recovering from injuries before that I embrace it. I know that a better version of me is on the other side. That’s just how I’ve approached this whole offseason and rehab process.”
Prescott has been working in recent weeks with his Cowboys teammates at Celina High School in preparation for team activities beginning in the coming weeks. The team will report for in-house meetings on Monday before hitting the field for organized team activities (OTAs) in May.
“I’m getting close to where I want to be,” he said. “I know we got team activities coming up. I imagine myself being involved in some sort, if not all. Then again, understanding my age and what I’ve been through, it’s about being ready for the fall. I’m not rushing anything, but I’m where I want to be.”
When the season begins, Prescott will be 32 years old. Understanding where he is at this point in his career along with his injury history, the extra precautions make sense. But if the Cowboys needed him to hit the field now, he’d be ready.
“If I had to play a game today, I definitely could do that,” he said. “It’s about moving forward healthy to make sure I can play 17-20 times when the time is right.”
After two leg injuries, an outside dialogue has started about whether he will continue to be as mobile as he’s been throughout his career with his legs. For him, the rehab process is about making sure he can return to full mobility, where he sees his game at its peak.
“When I’m playing my best, I’m mobile,” Prescott said. “Whether it’s actually running past the line of scrimmage or scrambling and making plays with my arm, that’s vital for me and it’s a big part of this. I’ve been running more, obviously that’s part of it when you’re rehabbing a hamstring. I just want to stay on that trend of just getting better, staying mobile and doing it while getting healthy.”
Prescott is no stranger to adversity, as season-ending injuries have been hurdles in his career. Before his NFL career, Prescott dealt with hardships while at Mississippi State, when he lost his mother to breast cancer. Over a decade later, Prescott is back at the Children’s Cancer Fund Gala in downtown Dallas to give back to his community for a cause that hits close to home.
“What I left here with [the first time attending in 2017], a full cup,” he said. “Understanding that this is my purpose. God blessed me to be able to throw the football and work hard, but really it’s to be able to share my story and inspire others.”
A pre-gala auction sees memorabilia from both inside the sports world and out be put on display before a fashion show for local kids battling cancer. It’s a reminder for Prescott each year as to what his purpose really is, even if his jersey number and profession are what everyone sees him as.
“There’s time at games, you think about the people that don’t have it as easy as I have it,” he said. “And it hasn’t been easy. They’ve had crazy battles and fights that they’ve had to go through. There was a time where I knew a couple of kids were at a game and just thinking about, ‘Man, I can’t go back and see these kids with a loss.’
“We came back and won the game. I need to invite more kids, I guess.”
