Cowboys Rumors: Dak Prescott Will Be Game-Time Decision vs. Vikings with Calf Injury

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will reportedly be a game-time decision for Sunday night's Week 8 road game against the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN's Ed Werder reported the Cowboys didn't come to a conclusion about their starting quarterback after Saturday's practice as previously expected. Cooper Rush will fill the void if Prescott is ultimately ruled out because of a calf injury.

"We are literally going to take it into tomorrow [night]," a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Prescott suffered a calf strain in the team's Week 6 win over the New England Patriots. Dallas had a bye in Week 7, but even with the extra rest it'll go right down to the wire to determine whether their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback can play against the Vikings.

The 28-year-old Mississippi State product said Thursday he hoped to play this weekend, but he understood there were several factors involved in the decision.

"Knowing this is a long journey and a long season, I don't necessarily know if this is fully my decision, but I'm just going to keep controlling the things I can to get better," Prescott told reporters. "I've gotten better each and every day, and that's what is most important."

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy echoed that sentiment after saying the franchise quarterback felt sore following Friday's practice.

"It's more than just one game. We're obviously in our seventh game, so there is a ton of football left to play," McCarthy said.

Prescott, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury after five games last year, has played at a high level in his return. He's completed 73.1 percent of his throws for 1,813 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading Dallas to a 5-1 record.

Rush has appeared in just six games and thrown only three regular-season passes since signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017. It would mark his first career start if he's called upon Sunday.

The 27-year-old Michigan native said Friday he's never taken starter snaps in practice during his four-plus years with Dallas, a stretch interrupted only by a short stay with the New York Giants in 2020, but that changed leading up to the clash with Minnesota.

"That's kind of how Dak has been rolling since I've been around. He loves those reps. He usually takes those," Rush said. "But this week, I got to go in there Wednesday and Thursday; he did all the individual [drills] and threw routes and all that stuff and looked good. But they kept him out of team. Being able to take those and use those going into Sunday, if need be, it's awesome."

If Prescott misses the Sunday Night Football game, his next chance to play will come Nov. 7 when the Cowboys host the Denver Broncos in Week 9.