Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is reportedly scheduled to take another step forward in his recovery from a thumb injury that has sidelined him for the last few weeks.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Prescott will have the stitches removed from his surgically repaired right thumb before Dallas’s Monday night game against the Giants. While his ability to return to action will be determined by his ability to grip the football, the step is considered to be a significant sign of progress in his recovery.
The latest report about Prescott’s status adds legitimacy to the optimism that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has expressed about his starting quarterback’s return timeline. In an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Sept. 13, Jones revealed Dallas would not place the two-time Pro Bowl on injured reserve because the team believed he would have the chance to play sooner than expected.
Jones followed up those remarks this past Tuesday, suggesting that a Week 4 return against the Commanders was still possible for Prescott.
“I don’t know that anybody knows [when he’ll be back],” Jones said, per ProFootballTalk‘s Michael David Smith. “But when he [gets enough strength in his hand], then you’ll probably see some real advancement in his timeline. I don’t know when that is. I do know that with a good airing out last week, everybody recognizes that he’ll be back sooner than later as far as the timeline. It really could be a minimum of two weeks up here in my mind [Washington in Week 4]. Now, that’s very optimistic. But he’s got the kind of repair there that will allow him not to have a lot of fear of re-injuring it. It’s just a question of the grip. But it’s a big question.”
Prescott was previously expected to be on a six-to-eight week recovery timeline after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured right thumb that he suffered in the Cowboys’ season-opening loss to the Buccaneers.
Dallas managed just fine in Week 2 with backup Cooper Rush behind center. The 28-year-old completed 19 of his 31 pass attempts for 235 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers in a 20–17 win. He also engineered a game-winning drive that culminated with a 50-yard field goal by Brett Maher as time expired.
Though Prescott will definitely miss the team’s Week 3 game against the Giants, it seems like he still has a chance to return for Week 4 against the Commanders or Week 5 against the Rams.
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