FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has no boxes left to check.
After missing the past five weeks with a fractured right thumb, Prescott’s return to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions is a certainty.
“I am,” Prescott said when asked Thursday if he was starting against the Lions.
“I think anyways,” he followed with a laugh.
Prescott been medically cleared. He’s practiced full and looked very good throwing the ball with velocity and on a number of routes.
He’s taken the majority the first-team reps in practice on Tuesday and on Wednesday and has been involved in the game planning since Monday. He will whittle down the play sheet with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore late Thursday before coming up with the final opening-game script on Friday.
Prescott can’t wait until Sunday when he will take the field for the first time since a disappointing 19-3 season-opening loss to the Tampa Buccaneers when he fractured the thumb on his throwing hand.
It was one of the worst games of Prescott’s career. He finished 14 of 29 passing for only 134 yards and an interception.
He underwent surgery Sept. 12 to have metal plate in his hand. He started athe long road to recovery while watching backup Cooper Rush lead the team to a four straight wins before last Sunday’s 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Prescott’s excitement is palpable and so is that of his teammates.
“It’s about staying where my feet are honestly,” Prescott said. “That’s been all the way through this injury. Honestly all the way through my life. Things happen. You can‘t get too far ahead of yourself. You can’t look back at what’s happened. Just thankful I went out there and had a good practice. Feel good right now. Yeah, go focus in on these afternoon meetings. Just put my mind right where I am and when I look up I’ll be prepared ready to go for Sunday.”
Prescott not only looked great in practice this week, but he has looked good last week when he started throwing to receivers again.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb said Prescott tore up the scout team offense on last Saturday before the Eagles and looked like he was ready to play.
He was great in practice on Thursday.
“Dak looks like Dak. He is back,” Lamb said. “He made some big time throws in one on ones, team period. He feels confident. He is excited to be back out there with us. We are excited for him to come back. To have Dak back is huge.”
The Cowboys are appreciative of the Rush did in Prescott’s absence but Prescott is the heart and soul of the team, per linebacker Micah Parsons said.
“He’s the heartbeat,” Parsons said. “In terms of leadership and doing things the right way. Pre-injury, first guy in here. During rehab, I mean working out when he doesn’t have to. Works out with his guy every day. Post-injury still doing the same things just habits and just routine. I mean I think he does everything when no one’s looking. The way he works out he goes above and beyond in his workouts. So you just take those type of things and look at it as leadership and the type of guy you’ve got playing with you. Like, ‘I know he’s got my back.’
“I told him, I said, ‘ Just because you come back that don’t mean nothing going to change around this (expletive).’ “
Parsons was referring to what happened when Prescott was injured and not on the field. Owner Jerry Jones, the media and others talked about a possible quarterback controversy with Rush.
There was never any question about Prescott being the team’s starting quarterback.
Prescott denies it.
“I’m completely internally motivated.” Prescott said. “I’ve got so many things I’ve been through in life, people who are gone that have motivated, things I’ve been through personally, the last thing I care about is someone else’s opinion. If I cared about that at any point of my life, I doubt that I’d be here, that I’d do the things that I’m doing. I doubt I’d approach every day like I do. I’m inspired and motivated beyond anybody’s opinion, anybody’s words, so all of that is just ...”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that my whole life, from one end or one aspect or another, honestly, it’s whatever to me.”
Prescott is right. But he is also human.
Lamb is among many Cowboys who think it will be added motivation for Prescott.
“He has all the energy and emotion and buzz ready to play,” Lamb said. “I know for him he has a lot of things he wants to get off his chest. I know he’s been hearing a lot of craziness, so.”
So ... Dak is back.
