Dak Prescott knows the road to recovery will not be easy but he’s ready to embrace the challenge.
Talking for the first time since leaving suffering a season-ending ankle injury, the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys thanked everyone for their support with a video on his Instagram account.
“I just want everyone to know that I’m doing well. I can’t thank you enough for all your love, your support, your prayers over the last few days,” Prescott said. “They’ve been more than overwhelming, from teammates to family to friends, to fans I don’t know, to former and current players around the league and players around all sport. I just wanted to say thank you.
“They’re definitely appreciated and received well, so just knowing that I have that much love and support out there makes a huge difference. I’m in great spirits… I know this little adversity is just going to be another chapter in the book. I’m excited to move forward and write it.”
Prescott said he was going to the doctor for his first post-surgery checkup on his ankle since having surgery Sunday night. The 27-year-old dislocated and fractured his ankle in Sunday’s win over the New York Giants.
Since the injury occurred, there has been a lot of debate surrounding Prescott’s future with the Cowboys. With both sides unable to come to an agreement on an extension during the off-season, Prescott was playing the 2020 season on the franchise tag. Going forward, Dallas will have to decide whether to tag him once again for around $37.7 million or try to work out a long-term deal in order to avoid him hitting free agency.
Prescott had 1,690 yards passing and nine touchdowns in the first four games of the campaign before getting hurt, setting him up for a big payday before the injury. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team still sees Prescott as their franchise quarterback despite the unknown surrounding his recovery.
“We’ve known for a long time that you can have a great player at this spot, but then not have him at periods of time during his career,” Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “We had it with [Troy] Aikman. We had it with [Tony] Romo. You don’t always have them. So, you’ve got to rely on other parts of your team.
“So, you’ve got to rely on other parts of your team. That’s why we do not go into a contract negotiation with the idea that it stands alone. It has to be a part of your tools that you have, which is your salary cap to put a team on the field and try to figure out the best way to win. And really that’s the underlying issue here.”
Jones also said he expects Prescott to be ready for next season based on what the team’s doctors have said about the injury. The team is also comfortable with Andy Dalton leading the team going forward considering his experience as a starting quarterback, which was why they made him a priority addition during the off-season.
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