2 min read • July 29, 2021
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The Dallas Cowboys are trying to stay optimistic about the latest injury to star QB Dak Prescott, citing it as day-to-day. The reality is Prescott is likely to miss a good part of training camp because of the shoulder injury. We are not saying this will derail the season or even impact regular season games, but it is not a “nothing” injury. Any time a MRI sees a muscle injury, that means there is structural damage/swelling and not simple soreness. A week-to-week timetable is the more likely and, depending on severity, it can leak into the season. Prescott reportedly strained (remember, a strain is a tear) his latissimus dorsi, a major muscle in the upper back and considered part of the shoulder girdle. This muscle is important for throwing and has sidelined pitchers in baseball. The good news is that at least it doesn’t involve his rotator cuff, which would carry a much worse prognosis for Prescott. The team has to be careful that this current injury doesn’t stem from compensation from the ankle fracture/dislocation recovery. Although we have been optimistic from the start that Prescott would be ready to go for Week 1, that does not mean he is 100% and he seemed to favor the left ankle slightly in a training camp video. The worry is if he has a slight hitch or weakness in push off, Prescott might overcompensate and strain his shoulder. Similarly, Carson Wentz returning early from his multi-ligament knee injury in 2018 and may have aggravated his lower back stress fracture. We are sure the quality Cowboys medical staff will be on top of the compensation issue and at least the ankle is not the area injured. Prescott has shown incredible toughness throughout the injury process including when he slammed his ankle on the ground to try and push it back in place before calling for help. With internal fortitude like that, our assumption is Prescott will handle the setback well but this situation must be monitored closely.
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