Cowboys' Stephen Jones on Dak Prescott Injury: 'In His Mind, He's Ready to Roll'

The Dallas Cowboys are being cautious with Dak Prescott this preseason amid a shoulder injury, but the quarterback is apparently ready to take the field.

"In his mind, he’s ready to roll," Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic).

Prescott has been diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right shoulder, which has kept him out of preseason games.

"We gotta almost protect him from himself, in a good way. He's such a fiery competitor," Jones added. "… He'll be just fine. As we said, just do it our way and this thing is gonna work out perfect."

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy indicated this week Prescott isn't likely to see any live action before the Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Gil Brandt of NFL.com also recently reported that Prescott expects to play in the Sept. 9 season-opener.

It makes sense for the Cowboys to be cautious considering the quarterback's value to the team. The two-time Pro Bowler missed 11 games last year because of a leg injury and the squad struggled to a 6-10 finish.

After signing Prescott to a four-year, $160 million extension in the offseason, the front office will especially want to protect its investment.

Expectations are high in Dallas if the 28-year-old can remain healthy with an offense that features exciting weapons like Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. The NFC East is also wide open after no team posted a .500 record last year.

A missed preseason could still be an issue for Prescott considering his time away. It will be nearly 11 months between regular-season games for the quarterback, which could lead to significant rust the first time he steps onto a field.

The Cowboys will have to balance this with keeping their star healthy as they prepare for the 2021 season.