Dak Prescott: ‘Healthiest I’ve been in a long, long time’

All eyes are on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys as the upcoming NFL season approaches.

The 2021 campaign was a rollercoaster for Prescott, who underwent surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder this offseason after previously dealing with a nagging right shoulder and calf issues. 

Still, the Cowboys managed to finish 12-5 last year, good for first in the NFC East and hosting a wild-card game. That’s where their season ended, however, after losing to postseason rival San Francisco.

The loss was Prescott’s third in four career playoff games, with the lone win coming all the way back in 2018.

While partaking in the team’s offseason program, Prescott said he’s as healthy as ever after focusing on “working on [his] whole body” this spring rather than rehabbing a specific injury.

“Throwing this morning and leaving that session, yeah, I mean, pumped up just the way I feel, the leg feels, the arm feels, the body feels. Yeah, I’m excited,” he said.

With Prescott on the up and up, the Cowboys certainly could be a force to be reckoned with this year.

On Thursday’s “Speak For Yourself,” Emmanuel Acho broke down why Prescott is out of excuses if he doesn’t lead Dallas further this season.

“What was Dak’s excuse last year?” Acho said. “[He was] coming off an injury. What was Dak’s excuses [in his] early years? He was young. But he [isn’t] coming off an injury, and he [isn’t] young no more, so now, it’s just time to deliver.

“Dak, we pay you to not have excuses. … What do they say in business? You get what you pay for. Dak, you’ve been paid $160 million, so I want to get a Super Bowl. I want to get a playoff win. Since 2019, you have no playoff wins. Since 2019, you are 4-13 in the regular season versus playoff teams. … The Cowboys have done their end of the bargain: They’ve paid you. I now want absolutely no excuses.”

Since his Cowboys debut in 2016, Prescott has completed 66.6% of his passes for 143 touchdowns with 50 interceptions. Last season, he had a career-high 410 completions and 37 TDs, but he also had a career-high 14 fumbles. The 28-year-old QB missed one game in 2021 and finished with 4,449 passing yards and a 104.2 passer rating, third-best in the NFL.

His stellar play netted him a four-year, $160 million deal with the Cowboys last March after suffering an ankle injury in 2020 that cost him 11 games. The Cowboys have voiced their continued commitment to Prescott despite some setbacks.

But after vocalizing his top-notch health and cashing in big, it looks like it’s time for Prescott to back all of it up on the field, particularly in the postseason.