Cowboys' Dak Prescott Says He Couldn't Feel His Toes After Surgery on Leg Injury

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told NBC Sports' Maria Taylor he couldn't feel his toes after undergoing surgery for season-ending ankle injuries suffered last October against the New York Giants.

Jon Machota of The Athletic provided a transcript (4:30 mark in video):

Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle on a tackle by Giants safety Logan Ryan in a Week 5 contest last year.

The former Mississippi State star ended up having two surgeries. After a grueling rehab process, he is slated to start the 2021 season with his Cowboys teammates Thursday against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The question is how Prescott will perform after nearly a year away from game action and whether he can return to his excellent 2020 form.

Prescott was on fire before the Week 5 injury. He averaged 474.7 passing yards per game and 8.8 yards per attempt from Weeks 2 to 4, completing 69.1 percent of his passes.

The Cowboys kept Prescott from doing too much this offseason as he went through his rehab process. A heightened sense of concern arose when he suffered a right latissimus strain that shut him down for a portion of training camp.

However, there doesn't seem to be much concern about Prescott's health going into the opener. Team owner Jerry Jones sounded encouraged by the star QB's progress (h/t Cowboys senior writer Rob Phillips):

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network called him a "full go" for Thursday:

One potential concern is Prescott's mobility, especially Thursday against a ferocious pass defense.

Machota noted that Prescott's mobility seems fine in training camp but that he wasn't getting hit either:

"His mobility looks like it did before the injury. But, of course, he wasn’t actually getting hit in those practices. If an edge rusher came free, they’d just run past Prescott. That’s not happening tonight. He might be a little hesitant early, but I think after he takes that first hit, it’ll help him settle in and play the way he has always played." "

Prescott has rushed for 1,314 yards and scored 24 touchdowns during his career.

He and the rest of the Cowboys will look to hit the ground running as they take on the heavily favored Bucs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. ET.