Dallas Cowboys running back Dak Prescott will miss the team’s next preseason game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
Prescott last played in an NFL game in the Cowboys’ Week 5 win over the New York Giants in 2020. The quarterback suffered a gruesome ankle injury during the season-ending game.
The Cowboys will wait until the season opens to play Prescott.
While Prescott was recovering from an ankle injury, the guard suffered a latissimus strain during training camp that put him on the shelf for several weeks.
The Cowboys hoped Prescott would get some playing time during the preseason campaign to ensure he could clean up the cobwebs before the season begins.
The star defender has been training with the team since Monday and has no shoulder issues, but the team is being patient and will not field him again this Saturday against the Texans.
The Cowboys will not play Prescott or any of the other starters in the team’s final preseason game on Sunday, Aug. 29, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That means Prescott’s first taste of NFL action since being sidelined last year will be against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the Cowboys’ season opener at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 9.
Can Prescott repeat the form he was in before the ankle injury?
Dak Prescott was named franchise free agent by the Cowboys during the 2020 season and must prove he is worthy of a long-term contract with the team.
He responded in some fashion, throwing nine passes in five games and averaging 371 passing yards per game. His MVP-caliber season was interrupted by a devastating ankle injury. Still, his absence raised questions about his future with the team, as the Cowboys’ offense struggled all season without Prescott under center.
After signing a massive four-year, $160 million extension with the team this offseason, Prescott now has to repeat last season’s form and lead the Cowboys to a division title and a deep playoff berth this year.
But since he hasn’t had playing time to test his ankle or shoulder, it may be too much for Prescott to run right through the goal against the Buccaneers and fall to the ground. Prescott and the Cowboys are under pressure to win the division title this year, and it will be interesting to see how the quarterback and the team handle the weight of expectations.
.