Getty Dak Prescott
If Dak Prescott’s playing days are numbered, he has a funny way of showing it.
A photo recently surfaced (h/t Reddit) showing the Dallas Cowboys quarterback with girlfriend Natalie Buffett amid the couple’s vacation on an undisclosed beach.
In the photo, Prescott’s surgically-repaired right ankle is clearly visible, and although it appears swollen, there is no apparent indication that he suffered a career-threatening setback, as has been rumored.
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Why This Matters
Obviously, there is nothing overly surprising about a rich, 20-something NFL star embarking on a tropical getaway in the dead of the offseason with his comparable muse. But this singular picture confirms that Prescott is out of his walking boot and off his crutches roughly four months after surgery to repair a right ankle compound fracture and dislocation.
This is noteworthy considering speculation arose that Dallas might be forced to “release” the impending unrestricted free agent due to an unreported issue with his ankle.
“I think there’s a possibility they release Dak Prescott in June,” 105.3 The Fan’s Mike Bacsik claimed last week. “I know something that nobody else knows and it’s very tough to keep my mouth shut on this. I’m just telling you, I know something, and the Cowboys know it too, and Dak knows it, too.”
Bacsik’s allegation came days after it was unearthed that Prescott underwent an additional clean-up procedure in December, an operation that “improved the stability and integrity of the ankle and should accelerate his overall recovery,” NFL Network reported.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have insisted he’s ahead of his schedule in his rehabilitation, which was pegged at 4-6 months, putting him on track for spring practices. CowboysSI.com recently reported that “Prescott is walking without crutches, rehabbing aggressively, and involved in weight-bearing exercises with plans to be ready for the 2021 NFL season.”
Parts of the above report were crystallized last Friday by Prescott’s brother Tad, an outspoken champion of the former Pro Bowl passer, who slapped down Bacsik’s hearsay via social media.
“Just talk. I’d love for him to tell me what he knows, that no one else does. Dak isn’t in a boot, he’s walking without crutches, and last time I checked the Cowboys can’t release a free agent,” Prescott tweeted.
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Surgeon Responds to Rumor
Take it from an orthopedic surgeon with 17 years’ experience as an NFL head team doctor rather than a locally-known radio personality with approximately zero: Prescott’s career is not coming to an end.
“No way #Dak doesn’t play again, IMO. BTW, I might win the lottery. There is a chance he is not 100%, but I think he makes a full recovery,” Dr. David J. Chao — popularized on Twitter as the “Football Doc” — tweeted Saturday.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL