Dak Prescott BREAKING: He'll Throw - But Cowboys 'Prepping Cooper Rush to Start' at Eagles, Says Coach Mike McCarthy

The Cowboys QB situation - even with the Eagles on the horizon - has never been about emotion or need or urgency or hype. This is about when Dak Prescott is 100-percent ready to play. So ... is he?

FRISCO - The rumors about Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott and his timetable for rehab, for throwing, for practicing and for playing have been all over the map.

The actual plan, though? Outside of marketing hucksterism and carrot-on-a-stick optimism, the people in charge of the Dak decision have never wavered.

The plan remains the plan. The plan remains unchanged.

And because of where Prescott is today, "We're preparing for Cooper Rush to start against the Eagles,'' coach Mike McCarthy told us on Wednesday here at The Star.

This means Dak will miss a fifth consecutive game when the team visits the undefeated Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated on Tuesday that Prescott should resume throwing on Wednesday, but made it clear that the quarterback might not be ready to return to action after undergoing hand surgery following Dallas’ Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Well, let’s just put it like this,'' Jones said. "He’s got to spin the ball. He’s got to really spin the ball. And just think about it: Put your hand down on something that would be the equivalent of a football. Try to do that without thumb strength. Try to spin that ball. Try to direct that ball without thumb strength if you’re really giving it a proper thumb. You can’t do it.”

So ... Dak needs to "spin it'' to win it.

Prescott was slated to see a doctor on Tuesday. Is he cleared to practice now here at The Star on Wednesday, which would give the Pro Bowl QB the needed "full week of work'' ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles in Philadelphia?

No.

McCarthy has made it clear that he would like to see Prescott get in a full week of practice, pads and all, before taking his job back from Rush, who has performed solidly in Prescott’s stead.

McCarthy restated that on Wednesday in answering a question from CowboysSI.com, making it clear that he will begin today’s workout by throwing on the side in the rehab group (his first day of throwing since the Sept. 11 thumb fracture) and then will advance to some light throwing to receivers at end of practice.

Dak remains "in the medical, rehab phase,'' McCarthy said. "We are preparing for Cooper Rush to start against the Eagles.”

Rush is a record-setter of a sort, as he is the first Cowboys quarterback to win his initial five starts with the team. He boasts a 4-0 record since Prescott went down back in Week 1.

But Rush isn't Prescott, as evidenced in the most recent Dallas win, as the temp QB completed just 10 passes on 16 attempts for 102 yards in Sunday’s upset victory over the defending champion Los Angeles Rams.

What Rush has done is avoid mistakes ... which is what the Cowboys - outside of the showmanship of promoting a "QB controversy'' and outside of the valid psychological notion that Dak's rehab work is enhanced by hope - have done as well.

Avoid a mistake as it relates to Dak's comeback.

There is still no "QB controversy.'' And there never was.

Said Jones: “Dak is the No. 1 quarterback, Dak is our guy. But isn’t it great that somebody came in and played well enough so that we can ask that question?''

Sure. But the only real "controversy'' would come if the Cowboys medically mishandled Dak's return. The temptation is understandable, as Dallas takes its four-game winning streak into Philly to play the undefeated Eagles on Sunday night.

But this has never been about emotion or need or urgency or hype. This is about when Dak Prescott is 100-percent ready to play.

America's Team ALERT! Get your Dallas Cowboys game TICKETS from SI Tickets ... here!

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Follow Cowboys / Fish on Facebook

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for constant daily Cowboys live-stream podcasts and reports!