During Week 5, Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury. Anyone watching the end of that run saw his ankle and foot dangling from the rest of his leg. Looking closer and one might have seen his foot turned toward the outside, indicating the joint was no longer intact. After Dak Prescott’s ankle injury, the perennial passing powerhouse was lost for the season.
The Dak Prescott Ankle Injury – Revisited
How Did It Happen?
Prescott escaped the pocket to his left while looking down field. Logan Ryan pursued Prescott and made an impressive open-field tackle. Ryan’s momentum carried both players to the ground as Ryan’s knee found Prescott’s ankle, immobilizing his talocrural joint. As Prescott’s cleats stuck to the playing surface, his body continued towards the ground. As the two physical football players collided, something had to give: Prescott’s ankle.
Anatomy of an Ankle Joint
The ankle joint is comprised of three bones: the Tibia, Fibula, and the Talus. The Tibia is the large bone in the lower leg bearing the majority of body weight. The distal portion of the Tibia forms a mortise to the Talus’ pestle. The Talus forms a dome along the anterior joint line, fitting into the distal tibia to stabilize the joint. The Fibula is a long and skinny bone that aids in stability of the lower leg and serves as an attachment site for various muscles in the lower leg.
Prescott’s Ankle Injury
Dak Prescott’s injury include a compound fracture and an ankle dislocation. The compound fracture indicates that the skin as broken and the bone(s) were exposed and possibly visible. These types of injuries are much more serious as there is a risk of infection, as well as blood loss. Alex Smith suffered a similar injury in 2018. Smith broke his ankle (Tibia and Fibula fracture) after he was sacked. Smith was plagued by further complications when he developed a flesh-eating bacterial infection in his ankle, requiring a muscle transfer and putting his life and leg at risk.
Prescott also suffered a traumatic dislocation as the Talus and Tibia no longer joined at the ankle. A dislocation means the Talus slipped out of the mortise formed by the Tibia until it could be surgically reduced by an orthopedic surgeon. Another player suffering a similar injury is Gordon Hayward. Hayward attempted a contested lay-up during the 2017 NBA season. These types of injuries and surgeries are manageable for a surgeon and can lead to a full recovery, as long as there is no soft tissue damage.
The Importance of the Dak Prescott Ankle Injury
Prescott becomes more of a pocket passer with each season. However, he still retains the coveted ability to escape the pocket and make dynamic plays with his feet. Furthermore, Prescott relishes in keeping plays alive once the pocket breaks down, finding receivers playing the scramble drill. If the signal caller is loses explosiveness with that right ankle, all three aspects of his MVP-esque game will suffer.
Prescott relies heavily on his right ankle, in the pocket, to drive the ball up the seam and down the field. Throwing a football 50 yards on a deep post or 30 yards up the seem on a go route, just over the head of the line-backer, requires velocity and arm strength. These big-arm throws also require immense core strength and a solid platform with which to drive against leverage to acquire the proper trunk rotation. Without a healthy ankle, Prescott will be unable to drive the ball with velocity and accuracy.
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback also excels on escaping would be tacklers in the pocket. With a significant ankle injury, it’s possible Prescott loses a step. Losing any degree of mobility would lead to the inability to escape the pocket, avoid sacks, and even pressure the defense with run-pass-option plays. Does Dallas put all its eggs in Prescott’s basket again? The last few weeks have turned up several more viable quarterback options with Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford set to leave their respective teams. It is possible we see Jerry Jones gamble with a new signal caller rather than invest in Prescott coming off a major ankle injury.
#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has received “amazing reports” on recovering from his ankle injury, per VP Stephen Jones. “He’s been so diligent in his rehab. They said if anything, he’s ahead of schedule and rolling. We expect a full recovery.” Great news for our QB1. ✭ pic.twitter.com/LKcRIUl39T
— Dallas Cowboys Network (@TheCowboysNet) November 21, 2020
Prescott’s Recovery and Outlook
Both Alex Smith and Gordon Hayward had successful surgeries and made full recoveries from their injuries. News came out that Prescott underwent successful ankle surgery and was released from the hospital on Monday, October 12th. Prescott’s recovery will be long and difficult, but with hard work and great therapy, he should return to 100% by the 2021 season opener. With trade rumors heating up and the availability of Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson, the question marks are piling up about what Dallas will do at quarterback.
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