Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will miss today’s game against the Bengals, but he will still have a presence Sunday against Cincinnati.
The injured starter will be on the sidelines with a headset on, serving as valuable eyes and ears for now-starter Cooper Rush.
Essentially, team sources say, Prescott will be filling Rush's usual role on game days. Prescott will listen to the play calls, watch the action, then weigh in with Rush on the sidelines as Rush's own personal QB coach. Prescott will help break down plays on the tablet and communicate important issues on the field.
Prescott was also seen at practice this week and sources say he’s been in all the game plan meetings. While he’ll miss his first game since Week 8 last year -- a game Rush started and won -- Prescott has been just as involved as ever in the building and with the QBs.
For today’s game, as one observer mentioned, Prescott will be up and down the sidelines bringing energy to his teammates.
As for his health, Prescott’s return is still to be determined.
Prescott had surgery on Monday to repair a thumb metacarpal fracture, with Dr. Thomas Diliberti at the Texas Hand & Arm Center performing the procedure. While a loose timeline of 6-8 weeks had been discussed before surgery, the team knew a firm timeline would come following the procedure.
That, sources say, is now best described as 4-6 weeks. NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero has reported Prescott's return could come as soon as Oct. 16 versus the Eagles.
The post-surgery result was better than expected. The fracture was clean and there is no joint involvement in the break, sources say.
Prescott had a plate and screws inserted for a solid fixation. The first priority is allowing the wound to heal, which should take 7-10 days. It then will take 10 days to two weeks to reduce swelling.
That’s why the Cowboys won’t know anything about his potential return for a few weeks -- those steps and how smoothly it goes are essential.
Next, it’s grip strength for 2-3 weeks, with the focus on Prescott’s ability to grip an NFL football well enough to throw a pass in a game.
While he recovers, Prescott can be in a jersey at practice because he's not on injured reserve. Could he actually play in four weeks like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hopes? That seems awfully fast, even with the Cowboys saying Prescott is a quick healer.
All of that will play out, as Dallas focuses on one stage at a time in Prescott's recovery.
"Everyone feels good about the surgery that Dak went through from the medical perspective," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said this week. “These next 7-10 days he's in a healing stage. Let's get over that hurdle first.”
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