McCarthy: Cowboys' Dak Prescott Expected to Be Cleared from Thumb Injury by Tuesday

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Dak Prescott will return to practice Wednesday ahead of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

"The anticipation is for Dak to be cleared today or tomorrow," he told reporters. "And then he'll return to practice on Wednesday."

McCarthy added that Prescott's status for Sunday remains unclear:

Prescott is still nursing the thumb injury he suffered in a Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his stead, Cooper Rush helped lead the Cowboys to four straight wins as Prescott's absence didn't derail their playoff quest.

Any notion Dallas was better off—or at least as good—with Rush under center was put to bed in Week 6. He finished 18-of-38 for 181 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions as his team suffered a 26-17 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys are fortunate they at least made it this long before Rush unraveled, and they're also lucky that Prescott's recovery is due to hit the shorter end of projections following his surgery.

Assuming Prescott gets the green light, the Lions are a good opponent for the two-time Bowler make his return against. Detroit is 26th in passing yards allowed (261.0 per game) and 28th in opponent passer rating (100.8).

In addition, Prescott will have a week to shake off the rust before what figures to be a tougher challenge against a Chicago Bears defense that's holding opposing teams to 178.7 yards per game through the air.