Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott expects to know Saturday what his gameday status for Dallas’ visit to the Minnesota Vikings looks like.
Prescott, limited in practice the past two days, is recovering from a calf strain and wore a protective boot most of the past week during the Cowboys’ bye.
He said he ramped things up Thursday to near game speeds to more accurately test his ability to move in and around the pocket. That doesn’t mean he’s ready for live action.
Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated the team could keep three quarterbacks active for this week’s game — presumably elevating Will Grier to the roster — even if Prescott is ready to roll.
“It’s not fully my decision because there is a bigger picture,” Prescott said. “It’s more than just one game.”
How Prescott’s calf responds overnight and his mobility in Friday’s workout will also be measured by McCarthy and the medical staff. McCarthy said he wouldn’t hesitate to play Prescott if he were more confident the muscle strain wouldn’t linger and become a weekly challenge.
Cooper Rush, the backup to Prescott, is taking most of the first-team snaps. McCarthy said the locker room has a “ton of faith” in Rush to perform if called upon.
“He’ll be ready to go if we hand him the ball,” McCarthy said.
Prescott will do a little bit more each day, with the Cowboys scaling back his work if necessary. The injury is similar to the calf strain that sidelined wide receiver Michael Gallup since Week 1. Gallup was back at practice Wednesday.
“I don’t want this to linger past this week,” Prescott said.
But Prescott said the physical demands of the position, as it relates to the specific injury, are much different for a quarterback than wide receiver.
“We’re trying to push it as far as we can right now and we’re going to stick to the plan,” McCarthy said.
–Field Level Media
