Cowboys expect Dak Prescott to be cleared for practice Wednesday

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will once again have Dak Prescott under center, as he expects him to be cleared for practice by Wednesday. 

While McCarthy says backup quarterback Cooper Rush has “put us in a good spot,” Prescott, as expected, will be ushered back into his starting role right on schedule after recovering six weeks from thumb surgery. 

“Dak is going to be cleared officially. …The expectation is for Dak to be cleared today or tomorrow,” McCarthy said via the Dallas Morning News. 

McCarthy has mentioned that he wants Prescott to have a full week of practice before he gets back into a game, and this would likely fulfill his want. 

Prescott suffered his thumb injury during the Cowboys’ season debut at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a loss to Tom Brady’s crew, 19-3, as the offense looked stale and Prescott not too sharp with just 134 yards on 14-for-29 before hitting the helmet of Shaq Barrett with his throwing hand. 

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Dallas was preparing for the worst once they got the news that Prescott needed surgery, but he’s recovered quickly and has been seen throwing before games as he continued his rehab. 

Rush lost his first ever start in the NFL on Sunday night, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-17, but the Cowboys won four straight games prior. They are currently 4-2 through their first six games, and with Prescott back, they are in a great position like McCarthy said. 

Prescott performed “light throwing” to receivers this past week, while Rush was still named the starter. Dallas’s franchise man even said that Week 4 against the Washington Commanders wasn’t out of question for him, though Rush led the Cowboys to a win. So, you get the gist of how bad Prescott wants to get back on the field. 

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The Cowboys will be going up against a Detroit Lions team that is on their bye week after suffering three straight losses, with their defense being the main culprit behind most of them this season. It should be a good opportunity for Prescott to get his feet underneath him again against a real opponent.

Prescott is on the second year of his four-year, $160 million extension that he signed with the Cowboys prior to the start of the 2021 season. The 29-year-old was one of the best quarterbacks in the league a season ago, throwing for 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with 4,449 yards to lead Dallas to an 11-5 record. He also completed 68.8% of his passes. 

As the NFC East currently plays out, the Cowboys are in third place due to the Eagles remaining undefeated and the New York Giants suffering their only loss in six weeks to the Cowboys.