Despite a gruesome injury suffered early in the 2020 season, the Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a massive extension this past Monday, paying their former fourth-round pick to a four-year deal worth $160 million, including $126 million in guaranteed money. Many said that Dallas shouldn’t put that much money into someone coming off of such a severe injury, but during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Prescott assured Cowboy fans that he is healthy for the future.
“I’m healthy,” Prescott said. “...I'm healthy. As I said, I control what I can control. I followed the doctor’s order the whole time, put in my own work ethic to it and as you said, you saw me walking out here, I’ve been on that field back there. I’m healthy, I’m getting close, but I’ll be ready when it matters.”
With a little under seven minutes to go in the third quarter of a Week 5 game against the New York Giants, the Cowboys led the Giants by a point and were threatening to score once again. Prescott took off on a quarterback draw and nearly had another first down before he was tackled by Logan Ryan. After being tackled, Prescott immediately reached for his ankle and fans watching on TV could see the injury was rather severe. It was later diagnoses as a compound fracture and dislocation of the right ankle, which ended his season.
Prescott was pushed after his answer to identify when he might be back to 100% healthy from his injury. But that was a question that Prescott chose to not put a specific timeline on.
“When I first got hurt, the one thing I said I wasn’t going to do was put a timepoint on it, because of so many different variables and things that can come up,” Prescott said. “As I say, I’m ready and I’m getting close. I feel good. You saw me walk out here, I can do a lot of things that I obviously couldn’t do weeks ago and even days ago, that I’m doing today. It’s hard to say I’ll be ready at this time or that time, but I’ll be ready when it matters, I’ll be more than healthy and better than I was before.”
The injury to Prescott was one that quickly drew reaction not only on the field, but from around the league. As Prescott was carted off the field and in tears after the injury, an outpouring of support quickly came, wishing the best to Prescott. As he prepares for the 2021 NFL seaosn coming off of that injury, that’s something that Prescott won’t soon forget.
“That’s a feeling I will never be able to put into words, to be in the hospital bed, not knowing really what’s going to happen sitting there just coming out of surgery,” Prescott said. “Getting all the support, as I said, from family, from coaches, from former coaches, from teammates and the Cowboys Nation, and even a lot of you. I’m just so thankful for that.”