Dak Prescott is officially back. Sort of. A day after throwing passes following Cowboys practice, the Pro Bowl quarterback was actually on the field with teammates Thursday, listed as a limited participant for the first time since fracturing his thumb in Week 1. Backup Cooper Rush, who's gone 4-0 in place of Prescott, is still expected to remain under center for Dallas' upcoming Sunday night game against the Eagles. But Prescott is now one step closer to returning to the lineup.
Both the QB and Cowboys brass have offered fluctuating timetables for Prescott's return since the veteran exited Dallas' season-opening loss to the Buccaneers. Initial reports suggested Prescott would be sidelined six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery, while executives Jerry and Stephen Jones hinted he might return as soon as Week 3. Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters recently, however, that Prescott probably won't return to game-day action until he logs a full week of practice.
It's still possible, then, that Prescott could ramp up participation in the lead-up to Sunday's NFC East battle, especially after teasing his return in back-to-back weeks prior. Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb even declined to reveal whether Prescott threw to him during or after practice Thursday -- a sign that Dallas is attempting to keep its true QB plans under wraps. But with Rush garnering regular praise for his performance as Prescott's unbeaten fill-in, it's likely Dak's actual return will wait another week.
If Rush manages a fifth straight win in place of Prescott, Cowboys staffers will assuredly be asked again whether Rush might remain at QB based on performance. While the backup hasn't posted gaudy numbers during his interim run, he's generally protected the ball and allowed Dallas' highly ranked defense to lead the way.
Jerry Jones previously compared Rush's entry to when Prescott first replaced longtime starter Tony Romo, even though Jones has since defended Prescott's QB1 status. And franchise legend Troy Aikman recently argued that another win for Rush should raise questions about the position.
"If (they beat the Eagles), you start asking the question, 'Do we put Dak back in?'" Aikman told via 96.7 The Ticket this week. "Considering what they've been able to do and how they've been able to win games with Cooper Rush, I think that becomes a real question the organization has to answer. Dak is the quarterback of this franchise. I love the guy. And they're better with Dak at quarterback, but the team is playing good football right now."
