The NFL world seemed to set off some unwarranted news fireworks on the Fourth of July, but perhaps the concerns were too strong.
When photos surfaced of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wearing a walking boot on his right foot in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, football fans were surprised and concerned, as Prescott was not known to have suffered any kind of injury during OTAs or mandatory minicamp.
But Prescott, Fort Worth Star-Telegram “It’s great,” he said, explaining that he was wearing the boots because “my ankle was swollen the last time I went deep sea fishing.”
Other NFL sources said Prescott’s injury is a minor ankle sprain and is not expected to hinder the gunslinger during training camp.
As part of the Cowboys’ campaign to win the NFC East in 2023, Prescott had a bounce-back season, passing for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns while completing 69.5 percent of his passes, all good enough to be top-three among quarterbacks.
When it comes to more advanced metrics, Prescott was similarly impressive, ranking third among quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus’ passing grade of 87.0 and second among quarterbacks in expected points added per play.
Despite his impressive regular season, Prescott didn’t perform as well as he did in the Cowboys’ humiliating loss to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round.
In their only playoff matchup of the 2023 season, Prescott threw three touchdowns but also recorded two key interceptions in the first half, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old quarterback is due to finish his four-year, $160 million contract this year and faces considerable pressure to continue playing through the 2024 season.
The Cowboys have maintained they want to keep Prescott at all costs, but the team has continued to drag out extension negotiations, which has only made the price of a top-tier quarterback higher.
With position mates Trevor Lawrence and Jared Goff each under contract for more than $53 million per year, Prescott will likely look to reset the market and earn at least $56 million per year on a new deal.
Prescott has had some high-profile injuries in the past, including a broken thumb in 2022 and a broken ankle just five games into 2020, which only added to the concerns over this latest injury.
The Cowboys are scheduled to meet at training camp in Oxnard, California, on July 24, giving Prescott 19 days off to fish and let his body heal before a grueling season.
