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FRISCO, Texas – For the first time since July 27, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott performed team drills during practice, a milestone as he continues his return from a strain latissimus on the right shoulder.
Prescott completed 11 of 12 assists in his 18 11-on-11 snaps on Wednesday, and showed no rust or limitation in his ability to pass the ball across the field.
The Cowboys open the season Sept. 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the team had no doubts that he would be ready for this game, they want to put Prescott to work as much as possible in training.
“Dak looks really good, man,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said after practice. “He throws the ball with a little pop. He looks good, looks like he’s progressing.”
Prescott completed a 20-25 yard pass to tight end Blake Jarwin on the sideline on a linebacker and followed that up with a ball to Aaron Parker on a cross road. His only failure was a missed pass by safety runner Jayron Kearse. He also showed his ability to make a play on the go, stepping up the pocket and finding tight end Dalton Schultz for a decent win.
Prescott retired from training in Oxnard, Calif., On July 28 when he experienced pain during his follow-up. The Cowboys shut him down for two weeks, though he continued to do his conditioning and strength work for his surgically repaired right ankle.
The Cowboys have consulted with the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees about the injury, as it’s more common in pitchers than in quarterbacks. Upon his return to Texas, he underwent a second MRI which showed the strain was healing.
The Cowboys slowly brought Prescott back to practice. He threw just over 50 passes in pre-game warm-ups ahead of the Aug.21 preseason game against the Houston Texans, which was his second straight day of heavier throws.
“I’m sure he would rather not have to go through those legwork and just be out there and go into an entire camp,” Elliott said. “But, I mean, he’s a grinder. He’s a real pro (with) just the amount of work he puts in just to get to where he was ankle and pull that tight muscle back. a true testimony of the leader and player that he is, and impatient to find him. “
Coach Mike McCarthy has previously said Prescott will not play in Sunday’s preseason final against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After practice on Wednesday, Prescott and McCarthy had a long discussion, potentially reviewing the plan for the next few days and leading up to the Buccaneers game.
McCarthy said Prescott had been lobbying to do more.
“He’s a caged lion. He’s a competitor,” McCarthy said before practice. “He brings that competitiveness and expertise to the knowledge of the quarterback position. He improves the whole training because of the way he approaches it. Just his pre-practice warm-up feels like a game. He treats him the way you would like to see all of your players treat him. He’s definitely one of the examples you use for younger players. “
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