Let the Dallas Cowboys tell it, there is nothing about quarterback Dak Prescott’s rehab from a right shoulder strain that has them doubting his availability for the Sept. 9 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Owner Jerry Jones said before last Saturday’s 20-14 preseason loss to the Houston Texans that, “If we were lining up against Tampa tonight, he’d be starting, and we’d feel great about it.”
Since the Cowboys have a couple of more weeks before they lineup against Tampa Bay, they will remain conservative and cautious with Prescott.
He has yet to return to full practice on play in a preseason game since taking taking himself out of practice on July 28.
After being completely shut down, the started allowing him to throw against two weeks ago and began ramping up his volume of throws last week.
That will continue to be the plan for this week, per coach coach Mike McCarthy.
“Just moving the numbers, continue the volume of throws and continue to build the workload capacity we’re working to get back to,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy said they feel good about the progress Prescott has shown but the Cowboys are in no rush to put him in competitive team drills.
It’s not necessary at this time but when they do they want to make sure he is ready to make all the throws.
”I am sure you understand there is a lot of conversation of how you bring him back in,” McCarthy said. “I don’t want to get into a script where you only run certain concepts. When he gets in there he needs to be able to go play. That is partly why we are taking the precaution we are taking.
“I don’t want to get him in there and just throw screens and three-step drops. We will continue to work that and see how it shakes out this week.”
McCarthy made it clear that Prescott can make all the throws now.
But he said it’s important for them to continue be careful and cautious and follow the plan prescribed by the training staff.
“I just think when he’s able to cut it loose and we’re not worried about the velocity of throws or the distance of the throws and all that, that’s what we’re building up to,” McCarthy said. “When we get to the level that Dak and (associate athletic trainer/director of rehabilitation) Britt (Brown) and the training staff feels like it’s time to go, we’ll go.”
Go time is the season opener against the Buccaneers.