McCarthy Says Goal Is for Dak Prescott to Play 20 Games Next Season

Dallas’s quarterback last played every game of a regular season in 2019.

For his first four years in the NFL, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was a picture of durability. He started 64 of the 64 regular season games Dallas played from 2016 to ’19, and proved himself to be one of the most consistent signal-callers in the league.

That has changed in recent years, however. Prescott has played in just 33 games since, suffering major injuries to his ankle and thumb in 2020 and 2022, respectively. In ’22, he also tossed a league-leading 15 interceptions.

With this in mind, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is making Prescott’s health a high priority for 2023.

“My goal is for Dak to play 20 games next year,” McCarthy told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “If he plays 20 games next year, obviously we’ll be right where we want to be.”

Assuming McCarthy has a full regular season in mind, playing 20 games would put Dallas within striking distance of the NFC championship game—somewhere the Cowboys haven’t been since 1995.