Getty Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
When Dak Prescott unexpectedly showed up on the Week 1 injury report, the Dallas Cowboys franchise quarterback cited new cleats as the reason for the issue. Not everyone is buying the authenticity of this explanation as The Athletic’s Jon Machota points out there has to be “a little something more to it” for the quarterback to be listed on the injury report.
“Prescott’s ‘hangnail’ was an issue with his right ankle, the one that was surgically repaired two years ago,” Machota wrote on September 10, 2022. “He insisted that he did not roll or tweak the ankle, it was just an issue with his cleats. Prescott said he was trying out some new Jordan 11 cleats to see if he wanted to wear them in Sunday night’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he didn’t like the way they felt, so he was just being, ‘Very, very cautious.’ He plans to switch back to the Jordan 1 cleats that he’d been wearing.
“But just a cleat issue wouldn’t lead to an injury designation on the practice report. There had to be a little something more to it. However, it’s nothing that he expects to limit him Sunday night.”
Fox Sports’ NFL insider Jay Glazer provided more details on Prescott’s injury, and it appears the issue went beyond switching cleats as the quarterback claimed. Glazer reported that “it felt like something popped,” but the X-rays were negative.
“Oh, they got a scare,” Glazer detailed on the September 11 edition of “FOX NFL Kickoff.” “They tried to just play it off. They got scared there on Thursday because at the start of practice it felt like something popped down there in his foot.
“They took him off to X-ray him. While he was gone, oh yeah, there was a lot of people in [Dallas] holding their breath. But X-rays were negative, it seemed like he just popped some scar tissue. They brought him out yesterday, they ran him fully. He is fully good to go. They can exhale.”
Prescott: ‘I Still Feel the Best That I’ve Felt in a Very, Very Long Time’
First hit on @NFLonFOX for this year! The Inside scoop week 1! Here is what you need to know on the Lamar Jackson contract situation in #Baltimore, how team leaders for the #49ers have Trey Lance’s back as the starter, & a scare in #Dallas with Dak Prescott that was avoided.
The good news is Prescott was absent from the Cowboys’ final injury report heading into the team’s clash with Buccaneers in the season opener. It is not panic time for Cowboys fans, but Prescott’s ankle is worth monitoring for two key reasons. First, it is the same ankle that Prescott had surgery on after his season-ending injury in 2020.
There is also the reality of Prescott’s recent history, including shoulder and calf injuries last season. Prescott sensed the skepticism about his health and attempted to downplay the situation heading into Week 1.
“Honestly, I feel great, something may come up in the [injury] report but, as you know, that’s this league and if you don’t report a hangnail you’ll get suspended or they’ll get fined, excuse me,” Prescott told reporters on September 8. “But no, I feel great. I still feel the best that I’ve felt in a very, very long time. Not even comparable to where I was last year going into this game. So, honestly just excited, ready for Sunday to get here.”
Rush Is Once Again the Cowboys Backup Quarterback
Dak Prescott is helping Cooper Rush get ready
Owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy both downplayed Prescott’s ankle throughout Week 1. Yet, the Cowboys admitted that Prescott’s ankle was checked out, something that likely would not have happened if the quarterback was only dealing with a shoe issue.
So far, there is no indication that Prescott will be limited in any fashion or forced to miss time. If the severity of Prescott’s ankle increases, Cooper Rush would be the next quarterback to line up under center for Dallas. After releasing both Rush and Will Grier, the Cowboys were able to re-sign both players prior to the start of the season.
Heading into the Bucs-Cowboys showdown, Dallas officially elevated Rush to the active roster from the team’s practice squad. Grier is the Cowboys QB3 as he remains on the practice squad, leaving the signal-caller open to potentially being poached by another team.