The biggest question for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason has been the health of Dak Prescott.
The quarterback got the massive extension he wanted and the goal then became to get back for Week 1.
Cowboys fans have still not seen Prescott in the preseason, but that is not a huge concern because plenty of top quarterbacks are being held out in the shortened exhibition slate.
Good news has emerged this week as it appears Prescott is back on a normal workload.
No more pitch counts for Dak Prescott. "We're just playing ball at this point," OC Kellen Moore said.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 26, 2021
This should mean his lat strain is full healed, or at least enough to where he can throw without too much pain.
Getting Back Close To Normal
Prescott is likely to get back on the field and start for the Cowboys.
But that does not necessarily mean all his injuries are fully healed.
Dak Prescott may not be "fully back" all season as he deals with last year's ankle injury and his recent shoulder strain, per @AdamSchefter
(@brgridiron) pic.twitter.com/G5cTZak0jJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2021
That may ultimately just be the nature of the NFL, as plenty of players battle through injuries to play on an annual basis.
Prescott is just more in focus because he plays for the Cowboys and just signed his massive extension.
This happening on a less notable team would obviously not draw such major headlines.
The key injury to heal was the ankle that required surgery.
He needs his legs to throw and to run, so that not being a concern is notable.
The lat strain is something to keep an eye on, however, if he can throw without any disruption in his motion there should be nothing to worry about.
Cowboys Need Dak Back
The Cowboys would be an absolute disaster in 2021 if Prescott were not able to suit up.
That was the case last season and that was when Andy Dalton was still around.
Mike McCarthy essentially got a free pass in his first season in Dallas because of Prescott’s injury.
Having him healthy and struggling again in the NFC East could lead Jerry Jones to get impatient.
He doesn’t want to repeat the same mistake of keeping a coach around too long, like he did with Jason Garrett, only to fail in the ultimate quest of winning a Super Bowl.
So all eyes remain on Prescott and the other stars on offense such as Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, and Amari Cooper.
However, the defense not being a total abomination will go a long way toward the team’s success as well.
Drafting Micah Parsons in the first round is another move by Jones that will be under a microscope in 2021.
Prescott is trending in the right direction and all the panic surrounding him this summer may be for nothing if he returns and looks sharp right away.
