Dak 'A Stud Human' - But Cowboys Make 'Probably' Decision On Preseason

Coach Mike McCarthy on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: “There’s a good chance he probably won’t play” this preseason.

FRISCO - Did the "Hard Knocks'' cameras and microphones just reveal an important truth about Dak Prescott?

Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury is seen visiting with Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy before last week's preseason game, and the Cardinals boss has the same question most everyone who pays attention to the Cowboys is asking.

“How’s your guy doing?'' Kingbury said to McCarthy.

McCarthy responded, “Good. Just got to kind of wind him back up with the throwing regimen. But he’ll be fine.” 

To which Kingsbury replied, “He’s such a stud human.”

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He is "such a stud'' that he wants to make his debut - and his first live action on a football field since his 2020 Week 5 season-ending ankle injury - against the Houston Texans this Saturday in what amounts to Dallas' preseason dress rehearsal.

"That's the plan,'' Prescott said last week.

But to McCarthy, it's still about "if's.''

"If he doesn't play this week I won't play him in the fourth (preseason game) against visiting Jacksonville)," McCarthy said. "To me, the fourth one is for the players competing for the roster spots."

That means that it's this Saturday or bust for Prescott to play any preseason football, and while McCarthy has said all along that it would be great to see his starting quarterback take the field against the Texans, he will have no problem holding him out if they don't feel he is ready.

"There's no urgency from my perspective to see Dak play against Houston," McCarthy said. "It's a plan of caution.''

"Plan of caution'' and "no urgency.'' Take those as mid-week hints that the Cowboys are realizing that it really doesn't matter if Prescott takes a few snaps in a game - that won't really determine who wins or loses when the real action starts with a Week 1 visit to Tampa Bay.

Prescott has participated on a limited basis in this week's practices at The Star. The Cowboys insist he simply has a muscle strain in his back/shoulder, and Prescott says he has no discomfort with throwing.

Traditional thinking? The Cowboys would like to get even more comfortable here by Prescott participating on Saturday. But ...

"I think we'd all like that, but that's not the priority," McCarthy said.

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