Dak Prescott: Dallas Cowboys NFL Opener Bigger Than Bucs & Brady

“I’m excited to get back on the field,'' Dak says. "This game means more than the opponent and their rings.”

FRISCO - Dak Prescott obviously means no disrespect to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will open their defense of their Super Bowl LV championship on Thursday, Sept. 9 with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys. So when he says of that game, it "means more than the opponent and their rings''?

If you know Dak, you get it.

The Dallas quarterback continues to rehab following his sustaining of a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle on Oct. 11. That injury ended his 2020 campaign, and largely doomed Dallas to its 6-10 finish.

So ... 

“I’m excited to get back on the field,'' Dak told ESPN's Ed Werder. "This game means more than the opponent and their rings.”

I asked #Cowboys QB Dak Prescott the significance of returning from his first serious NFL injury by playing Tom Brady and the SB champion @Buccaneers. He replied, “I’m excited to get back on the field. This game means more than the opponent and their rings.”

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) May 12, 2021

Yes, it's still about the Bucs, who just happen to be 6.5-point favorites in Week 1. And yes, it's still about Tom Brady as the G.O.A.T., with accomplishments that Dak can only dream of. (And accomplishments that permit Brady to take jabs at "America's Team.'')

READ MORE: QB Tom Brady Pokes Fun At 'America's Team'?

And those rings? They are sort of the point of this entire endeavor.

But Wednesday's official full NFL schedule release has no immediate impact on Prescott,  who in March signed a four-year contract worth $160 million ... and now is prepping to go about proving he is worthy of it.

READ MORE: Watch: Cowboys NFL Schedule Hype Video Features Post Malone, Jerry Jones, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott

"I can go play in a game right now and be very, very successful,'' the 27-year-old star said recently, and while that isn't necessary, it will be necessary on Sept. 9.

And Dak Prescott was going to be ready, regardless of the opponent and regardless of their rings.

READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys Invite 2 QBs To Camp - With Ben DiNucci As A Reason