Cowboys QB Ankle Concerns? 'Dancing' Dak 'Buries' Them
FRISCO - Last season, Dak Prescott was on his way to shattering multiple NFL records in passing, accumulating 1,856 yards and nine touchdowns in just 4.5 games, putting him on pace to throw for 6,599 yards and 32 touchdowns for the year.
Unfortunately, that potentially record-breaking year was ended by a gruesome ankle injury -- one that required significant rehab and caused reasonable concern about his status moving forward into offseason workouts.
And then came a Cinco de Mayo dance. And now?
On Wednesday, Prescott did his best to continue to quell any concerns, telling us that he is not only well past his own point of worry for the health of his ankle but that he has completely "buried'' it.
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“I’ve buried the injury, honestly, guys," Prescott said. "You know me, from the point of practice, from the point of just moving forward and going about my life. I’ve buried it mentally, and I think you guys and a lot of people around have to help me in burying it as well as we move forward.”
While it wasn't an immediate transition for Prescott, he has noticed a difference in his abilities in practice, especially during scramble drills, or other drills that forced him to use the full strength of his previously injured ankle.
“When you go back and look on film on the first day [of offseason work] and the last day of me scrambling, you can visually tell that I’m running better,” Prescott said. “That’s the good part of it. But rehab before this, I was doing all kinds of cuts, jumps, things like that that happen in a scramble drill. So never within the drill did I ever think about my leg or did I ever think that this was a part of the rehab rather that I’m pushing myself and I block that mentally."
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As a result, Prescott was designated 100-percent go by the Cowboys earlier this week, much further ahead of some timetables.
But for Prescott, there was never a race to get healthy or return to action by a certain time. He simply followed his feelings and his body's signals during his rehab, until he knew he was ready to roll once again.
“The first surgery I got out of my boot probably like a week, and then I was having another surgery,” Prescott said. “Then, after that, I really like said, ‘Hell with the time,’ to be honest with you. Didn’t keep account of day-by-day or week-by-week and just started going more off how my body felt and just the things I was able to do from one day to another. I think that’s what got me through it honestly. I wasn’t counting months. I think it was just the other day that I had to count on my fingers the time since I’ve been hurt. I haven’t really kept up with that. That was one of my goals and missions when I first got hurt is I said, ‘I’m not going to try to beat anybody’s timeline. I’m just going to go out here and work day by day and just try to get myself better,’ because I knew the amount of time I had before I actually needed to be ready for the season.”
One big day? May 5.
“I had a good Cinco De Mayo,'' he told us. "I was a little active, did a few little dance moves and felt like I’m ready to go.”
With Prescott now healthy, the Cowboys' offense will have a full offseason to get Prescott re-integrated with weapons like Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup, as he attempts to justify a newly signed extension that makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
