Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy dealt a crushing blow to fans’ hopes of seeing quarterback Dak Prescott in the team’s preseason game with the Houston Texans.
McCarthy kept his comment short, sweet, and ambiguous.
“There’s a good chance he probably won’t play.”
On the heels of that, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Prescott is likely not seeing any game time action until Week 1 of the regular season.
From @NFLTotalAccess: #Cowboys QB Dak Prescott likely won't see his first game action until the regular season begins. pic.twitter.com/UxXOKW8TVn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 18, 2021
As Rapoport indicated, Prescott is throwing, but the Cowboys are being cautious and allowing the shoulder more time to heal.
What This Means
It is not good news.
To begin with, Prescott has not played since Week 5 of 2020 when he suffered the ankle injury.
He recovered only to injure his throwing shoulder at camp.
The Cowboys never really specified what the shoulder injury was.
And in other news….. that’s shoulder injury that @dak has and that they told us wasn’t serious is heading into week #3 and he still not throwing or practicing but they saying he ain’t really hurt…… MAKE IT MAKE SENSE 😒😒
— TRIPLE D DAT!!!!!! (@TRIPLED4LIFE) August 17, 2021
All we really know is that he injured his right ankle in Week 5 of 2020 and his right shoulder during 2021 training camp.
Is that a coincidence?
Some believe it is not.
In fact, the injuries could be related.
If his ankle is not 100 percent, his footwork or weight distribution in his feet could be altered when he is throwing.
The shoulder and arm could be overcompensating.
Coach McCarthy shut down this theory shortly after the shoulder injury occurred.
On the possibility of over-compensating leading to Dak Prescott’s current shoulder strain, Mike McCarthy confirmed he does not see “any ties” to last season’s ankle injury.
Says there is no mechanical issue with Prescott and he possesses “great fundamental training.”— Brianna Dix (@DixBrianna) July 29, 2021
Hopefully the two are not related.
However, Prescott could look a little rusty and out-of-sorts from his long layoff when he takes the field against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Cowboys season opener.
That is not exactly a Week 1 game where he can ease in and shake off the cobwebs.
He will need to be 100 percent ready to go from the Cowboys’ first offensive play on September 9.
The Backup Situation
It is fair to say how Prescott goes is how the Cowboys will go in 2021.
We have seen the backup quarterbacks, and it has not been pretty.
People need to realize that Ben DiNucci is extremely important to this team. His constant bad passes and interceptions thrown hypes up this defense and will give them the confidence they need to succeed.
— Bryan Hernandez (@BryanHernandez5) August 17, 2021
Ben DiNucci, Garrett Gilbert, and Cooper Rush have been something.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs punched a ball out from CeeDee Lamb. Micah Parsons nearby. Rough night for offense, Garrett Gilbert struggling to get ball out before pocket breaks down for would-be sacks.
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 17, 2021
Maybe a better way to look at the backups is to wish one of them embodied all of the talent the three of them possess individually.
If you combined Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush, and Ben DiNucci you'd have a really solid backup QB
— David Howman (@_DH44_) August 14, 2021
Conclusion
All could be fine with Prescott.
He might come in against the Bucs and play great with no signs of rustiness or injury.
Then again, he may not do that.
If he is unable to play, the backups do not provide much solace.
And it goes without saying that a lot of money was spent to make Prescott the franchise quarterback.
Andy Dalton is gone so if for some reason Prescott is not well, the Cowboys will soon be shopping for a free agent quarterback on the cheap.
No Cowboys fan would consider this a positive beginning to the 2021 season that is loaded with expectations.
NEXT: Mike McCarthy Knows His Cowboys Future Depends On Dak Prescott