The NFL world seemed to have an unwarranted news firework go off on July 4, but the concern may have been too strong.
When pictures surfaced of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wearing a walking boot on his right leg in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, football fans were both stunned and alarmed — largely because Prescott wasn’t known to have suffered any kind of injury during OTAs or mandatory minicamp.
However, Prescott assuaged some of the worry by sharing with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he was “great” and wearing the boot because “the last time I went deep sea fishing my (ankle) swole up.”
Other pertinent NFL insiders shared that Prescott’s injury was an insignificant foot sprain, and that the gunslinger wasn’t expected to be hampered during training camp.
As part of the Cowboys’ NFC East-winning campaign in 2023, Prescott enjoyed a resurgent season, finishing with 4,516 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and a 69.5 percent completion rate — all of which were top three or better among quarterbacks.
Regarding more advanced metrics, Prescott was just as elite, slotting third with a 87.0 Pro Football Focus passing grade and finishing second among QBs in expected points added per play.
Despite how stellar his regular season was, Prescott wasn’t as sharp during the Cowboys’ mortifying upset to the No. 7-seed Green Bay Packers during the NFC wild card round.
In that lone 2023 playoff matchup, Prescott tossed three touchdowns but also had two critical first-half interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old quarterback faces considerable pressure to sustain his play during the 2024 season with his four-year, $160 million contract set to expire after this year.
Although the Cowboys have claimed they want to keep Prescott at all costs, the franchise has continued to drag out extension talks, which has only raised the price on the upper-echelon quarterback.
With position mates Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff each receiving deals that pay $53 million or more annually, Prescott will likely try to reset the market and fetch at least $56 million per year on his new deal.
Prescott has dealt with notable injuries in the past, including a thumb fracture in 2022 and a broken ankle just five games into 2020, which only augmented anxiety about this latest ailment.
With the Cowboys set to report to training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on July 24, Prescott will have the ability to vacation and fish for 19 more days — not to mention heal before a grueling season.
