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Dak Prescott suffered a cruel season-ending ankle injury against the New York Giants in his side’s 37-34 victory at the AT&T Stadium in week 5 of the 2020 NFL season.
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Prescott was on course for breaking a number of records in the NFL this season as the Cowboys QB had got to a flying start, particularly in passing yards where he still leads the league. With contract talks still on hold with ‘America’s Team’, does this injury put more doubts about his future in Dallas?
Cowboys’ EVP Stephen Jones has been quick to come out to say that Prescott is still their franchise quarterback. He has wished the 27-year-old a speedy recovery and has given him his assurance that the owners want the QB to continue his career with their team. Prescott signed a franchise tag this season. He will need to do the same in 2021 or commit to a long-term deal otherwise he would become a free agent.
The former Mississippi State Bulldogs QB was drafted by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. An injury to Tony Romo in a preseason game later that year meant he became an immediate starter for Dallas. Prescott has continued to shine behind centre, becoming one of the most consistent in the position in the NFL.
Andy Dalton To Lead Team in Prescott’s Absence
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The decision by the Cowboys earlier this year to sign the experienced Andy Dalton to back up Prescott is now proving to be very wise. Dalton has started 133 matches in the NFL since joining the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011.
Dalton will now get to lead an offense which is highly talented. The combination of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb and Cedrick Wilson Jr means the new Cowboys QB is not short of options to throw to. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is also behind him to help the offense continue to fire.
After a 2-3 start to the season, the Cowboys are +4000 to win the Super Bowl due to a leaky defence, which makes this a risky wager for anyone looking how to bet online, but they could provide value in upcoming matches as the bookies are likely to undervalue them now that Dalton is at centre. Mike McCarthy’s side are the favorites in the betting to win the NFC East and must not be written off despite this latest setback.
Prescott Will Be Eyeing 2021 Return
Prescott is sure to offer Dalton as much support as he can from the sideline once he is comfortable to do so. When the season is concluded, talks over Prescott’s future are likely to resume again.
With such an exciting offense, Prescott will be desperate to return to the field again in 2021 in this Cowboys team. This is his first sustained break from the league since joining the NFL in 2016.
As with all quarterbacks when they are out of action for so long, Prescott has the chance to get himself in the best physical shape possible ahead of his return next year. If he performs like he did in the opening four weeks of 2020, it could be more bad news for defenses in the NFL
