Cowboys Rumors: Dak Prescott 'Coming Along Great' in Recovery from Ankle Injury

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is reportedly "coming along great" in his recovery from ankle surgery, which brought his 2020 season to an end in October.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the update on Prescott's progress Saturday, with the Cowboys hopeful he'll return "better than ever:"

The two-time Pro Bowl selection was off to another strong start before the injury. He completed a career-best 68 percent of his throws for 1,856 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions rushed for three scores in five games.

Dallas, which was 2-3 when Prescott left the lineup, finished 6-10. It fell one game shy of the NFC East division title, won by the Washington Football Team at 7-9.

The Cowboys and the 27-year-old quarterback's representatives now have to decide the best way to move forward after he played the 2020 season under the franchise tag.

While the team holds the right to franchise him again, it's an unlikely endgame since it would cost an estimated $37.69 million on a one-year deal for 2021.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in early January on 105.3 The Fan (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk) that getting Prescott's situation settled was No. 1 on the offseason to-do list:

"Certainly at the top. Certainly right there at the top in terms of contracts, obviously. One of the things we're going to have to see is where we are [with the salary cap] and that will affect everybody. It will affect all 32. It will affect our team. It's just the consequence the virus has had on our cap situation going forward and where is that salary cap going to be? What kind of cap are we going to manage into? So, all of those things will play a role in terms of players that we keep that are under contract, what potentially we can sign. Obviously, Dak being at the top of that list, and then going from there."

Prescott holds quite a bit of leverage since the Cowboys dropped to No. 10 in the 2021 NFL draft order with three wins over their past four games, which could put them out of contention to draft a suitable replacement for the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

There are a lot of variables in play given the uncertain impact of the coronavirus pandemic on future spending, but so far there's been nothing to suggest the Mississippi State product won't be back under center for Dallas next season.