Dak Prescott hasn’t played for the Cowboys since suffering a thumb injury at the end of the team’s 19-3 Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers.
Despite his injury, he isn’t yet ready to rule himself out for Dallas’ big “Sunday Night Football” game against the undefeated Eagles in Week 6.
After the Cowboys’ 22-10 win over the Rams — their fourth victory in a row with backup quarterback Cooper Rush starting — Prescott referred to himself as “day to day” with the thumb injury. He hasn’t yet practiced since suffering the injury to his throwing hand, but he acknowledged that he is able to grip the football now; he wasn’t able to do so early in his recovery.
As such, Prescott believes he has a chance to return this week.
“Things are happening fast,” Prescott said, per Patrik Walker of Cowboys.com. He also said that he would likely throw to receivers during the upcoming week after only doing light throwing ahead of Week 5.
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Will Dak Prescott play in Week 6 vs. Eagles?
Prescott’s performance in practice will go a long way toward determining his availability against the Eagles. Coach Mike McCarthy has indicated that he wants Prescott to practice a full week before returning from the injury. He reiterated that plan after Dallas’ win.
“I think it’s a practical approach,” McCarthy said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “The biggest thing for Dak is just to make sure the ball is coming off his hand the way he’s accustomed to coming off his hand.”
Prescott is set to see a doctor on Tuesday who will further assess his thumb injury. At that point, his status should become clearer.
That said, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported ahead of Week 5 that Prescott would need to make “significant strides” to play against the Eagles. The reason? He may now be able to grip the ball, but he is still regaining grip strength in his banged-up hand.
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If the “swelling and soreness” in Prescott’s hand doesn’t improve in the lead-up to Week 6, Rush would likely get another start. The Cowboys certainly won’t rush Prescott back into action even for the critical game, as Rush has won consistently in his stead. His stats may not be overly impressive, but he is one of just 14 NFL quarterbacks to begin his career with a record of 5-0 as a starter.
It’s too early to tell whether Prescott will play against the Eagles, but Cowboys fans should have a pretty good idea about his status once the midweek practice report arrives.
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