Dak Prescott‘s shoulder injury was announced on July 27th after heaving a hail mary in practice. Prescott’s health is paramount to team success this season. The NFC East is much improved this season and the Dallas Cowboys will have to be at full strength to compete for a playoff spot. Without their star signal-caller, the Cowboys would be relying on players like Cooper Rush and Ben DiNucci. Dallas fans are hoping Prescott can return to form so the Cowboys can avoid another lost season.
Dak Prescott’s Shoulder Injury: Details, News, and Updates
Prescott’s Injury
Prescott came up on the injury report after heaving a hail mary in practice. He admits he had not warmed up properly before cutting loose and landing on the injury report for the 2021 preseason. The shoulder strain is cause for concern as Prescott missed most of the 2020 season with an ankle injury. Dallas is looking to bounce back after extending Prescott. Any lingering injuries will absolutely put a damper on big plans in Dallas.
Dak Prescott may not be "fully back" all season as he deals with last year's ankle injury and his recent shoulder strain, per @AdamSchefter
(@brgridiron) pic.twitter.com/G5cTZak0jJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2021
Early reports confirmed Prescott strained his latissimus dorsi, commonly referred to as the “lat,” muscle. The latissimus dorsi is a muscle originating from the thoracodorsal fascia and inserting into the intertubercular groove on the Humerus. This powerful muscle acts to adduct, extend, and internally rotate the shoulder. All three of these motions are crucial throughout the throwing process. If this muscle injury lingers, Prescott will be unable to push the ball down the field vertically leading to more loaded boxes for Ezekiel Elliott as defenses will no longer respect play-action or Prescott’s deep ball.
If Prescott is unable to push the ball down the field the Cowboys will see loaded boxes to stifle the run game and one-on-one coverage on the outside. The Dallas offense relies heavily on play-action passing and big plays down the field with Amari Cooper. Elliott sets the pace with his physical running style as the Dallas offense leans on teams, gutting them down the field when coverages lose Cooper.
A Second MRI?
Since the injury, Prescott requested an additional MRI on his shoulder. This move caused a lot of concern and distrust in the diagnosis of the original injury. A second MRI implies Prescott and the Cowboys have further concerns about the health of his shoulder. This controversial move has a lot of football analysts and fans alike concerned with the true health of Prescott and the potential for the upcoming season. Another concern is the injury lingering and keeping the quarterback questionable to play from week to week.
Nevertheless, an additional MRI confirmed Prescott is coming along well and ahead of schedule in his recovery. Recent reports have confirmed Prescott has been a full practice participant without restrictions and is no longer on a pitch count.
Prescott 100 Percent
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott casually tossing passes of 40-plus air yards in warmups before showing good velocity in 7-on-7. He’s overcome an ankle fracture, latissimus strain and, worst of all, that second MRI to be ready for start of season. pic.twitter.com/eYxBfDa62x
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 28, 2021
Prescott has returned to practice at 100 percent without limitations after the second MRI confirmed he was healing and ahead of schedule. So, Prescott’s clean bill of health means he will be available to start the season opener on September 9th against the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dallas will need all hands on deck to defeat Tom Brady, Bruce Arians, and the Tampa Bay Bucs. If Prescott is limited Dallas will have no chance of winning this matchup.
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With Prescott back to 100 percent, the Cowboys should be the favorites to win the NFC East and compete to make a deep playoff run. Dallas has a lot of question marks at every level of their defense. Despite the poor defense, Dallas has one of, if not the most explosive offenses in the entire NFL. With an extra game, this season Prescott could realistically pass for over 6,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. If Prescott is on the shortlist for the most valuable player by the end of the season, expect the Cowboys to compete for the division and the conference.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
