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Cowboys' McCarthy: 'Good Chance' Dak Prescott Misses Preseason with Shoulder Injury
August 18, 2021
The next time Dak Prescott takes the field in an NFL game could be Week 1 of the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday there is a "good chance" his star quarterback doesn't play in the preseason as he continues to recover from a shoulder strain.
"We'll just continue the throwing regimen and keep building up the volume," McCarthy added.
The Cowboys announced Prescott suffered a muscle strain in his right shoulder after leaving practice early on July 28.
Prescott underwent a second MRI on Aug. 14 that showed the injury was healing properly, but there was no indication from the team when he would be back on the field for practice or games.
ESPN's Todd Archer posted video from Dallas' Aug. 10 walkthrough in which Prescott threw 10 passes to Amari Cooper.
Traditionally, NFL teams don't use their starters in the final preseason game. The Cowboys only have two exhibition contests remaining, with their third one coming on Saturday against the Houston Texans.
Dallas wraps up its preseason schedule on Aug. 29 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci have taken the majority of the snaps under center this preseason with Prescott unavailable.
Prescott's situation is complicated by the fact he hasn't played in a game since Oct. 11, 2020. He suffered a compound fracture and dislocated right ankle in the third quarter of the Cowboys' 37-34 win over the New York Giants.
If he's healthy enough to play when the regular season begins, Prescott's first game action in 11 months will come on Sept. 9 against the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.