Dak Prescott’s shoulder should prove to be only a blip on the radar

Quarterback Dak Prescott is the face of the Dallas Cowboys and rightfully so. The former Mississippi State product has been polarizing for “America’s Team” ever since he was drafted and sprung into the spotlight during the preseason of his rookie year. It is no surprise every move and every update regarding Prescott is posted on news channels and websites everywhere.

We know that owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, loves every second that his franchise quarterback gets talked about on news outlets and has publicity surrounding him. Jerry is a business man and publicity means money; I can’t blame him. But it also seems to extrapolate each news story about the Cowboys to get views, clicks, and generate more headlines.

Prescott’s right shoulder strain has been highly chronicled for the last few weeks as he is attempting to ramp up for the NFL season opener against the defending champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A shoulder strain in the throwing arm of your quarterback while the ink from his new deal hasn’t even dried yet logically causes worry, but that worry should be short-lived.

There is reason to believe that this shoulder strain saga should prove to be a minor storyline in the tale of the 2021 Dallas Cowboys. From previous history showing us what to make of injuries to how the Cowboys are handling this situation, Dak Prescott’s shoulder issue is very much less of an issue than national news sites are portraying to garner clicks.

First, in 2019, Prescott played through a sprained AC joint that required an MRI that showed no damage. Sound familiar? Not only was that nagging at Prescott, but he also had an issue with a finger on his throwing hand and a sprained left wrist. Good luck getting Prescott off the field if the issue is only a sprain or strain.

Second, let’s look at how things would truly be handled if this issue were of heightened seriousness. The Cowboys are working Prescott back into throwing to his wide receivers, which should be quite telling. He has begun throwing increasing amounts during practice and said he feels no pain as he progresses.

The fact that there are rumblings of getting Prescott snaps in the upcoming preseason game against the Houston Texans speaks volumes about how he is healing. If the shoulder strain was of a more serious matter, the thought of allowing Prescott to even think about preseason snaps would be long gone.

Lastly, I don’t think the option of sitting out is even a thought that Prescott has had. In the first episode of Hard Knocks, the quarterback had some colorful language about his disdain of simply being limited in practice.

Along with that, the quarterback has said that he wouldn’t miss any time if this were the regular season and I will trust a guy like Prescott if he says he can play. Prescott is one of those guys that is never going to take himself out of a game and that says a lot to me.

I understand the hysteria surrounding the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott with his recently signed contract playing into the shoulder strain and media narratives. I get it. It gets fans talking and creates storylines at a time fans can feel the regular season right around the corner.

The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott are keeping things close to the chest and that might just be the best move. Let the media talk, let the storylines tell wild tales, but in my opinion, this storyline will be one that proves to be a minor wave in a bigger sea of the 2021 season.