Dak Prescott downplays Cowboys fans' concerns about ankle injury

The Dallas Cowboys have been heavily criticized for mishandling the contracts of their franchise players in recent years. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been able to hold the Cowboys hostage with his massive salary cap figure as he negotiates for a contract extension.

The standoff with Prescott has kept Dallas from having the financial flexibility to retain their own talent or sign impact players in free agency.

To make matters worse, concerns regarding Prescott’s health began to percolate in early July and reached a crescendo last week, when Prescott was seen in a walking boot last week while he was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

Dak Prescott downplays ankle injury despite walking boot

Prescott addressed his injury on Tuesday at his youth football camp in Southlake, Texas. 

Prescott downplayed any injury concerns and said he’s doing “great,” but then he continued to provide some troublesome details regarding the injury.

"Honestly, I'm getting older,” Prescott said. “It's the same ankle that I snapped and I had a nasty surgery on four years ago. So a couple of hard days of training and you get a little sore and you're going on a fishing trip, and you want to protect it and make sure things don't get worse.”

Prescott suffered a gruesome compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle in a Week 5 victory over the New York Giants during the 2020 season. The Cowboys won just four of their 11 remaining games after Prescott underwent surgery for the season-ended injury.

"Literally, it's absolutely nothing,” Prescott continued. “People are reaching, trying to make things that they aren't. I'm getting older and have to take care of my body, have to be smart. If I can take precautions and lessen something by putting on a boot, I'll do it. Sorry that I caused such a worry."

While Prescott would like the world to believe the injury is nothing, previous reports suggest otherwise. 

Earlier this month, pro sports bettor Steve Fezzik claimed that Prescott may not be fully healthy and reportedly underwent an MRI for an undisclosed injury. Mike Fisher of Cowboys Country shot down the report by calling it a “non-story,” but Prescott’s walking boot would suggest otherwise. 

Prescott, who is entering the final year of his contract, is set to earn $29 million for the 2024 season. The language in his contract features a no-trade clause and prohibits the Cowboys from using the franchise tag designation, which guarantees Prescott will hit the open market in free agency next offseason if the Cowboys don’t sign him to a long-term contract extension.

The 30-year-old quarterback said there have been “conversations back and forth” with the team, but he is letting his agent handle the negotiations. 

The Cowboys are scheduled to begin training camp on July 25 in Oxnard, California.