The status of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had been up in the air all week due to a calf strain. The game-time decision about whether to play him has been made: Prescott will sit out the Sunday night game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Head coach Mike McCarthy explained his reasoning for sitting Prescott on the radio.
Mike McCarthy on @1053thefan: “We just feel like it’s better to go with Cooper Rush and give Dak more time to heal. … These are conversations that were going on all week. We feel like we’re making the best decision for Dak.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 31, 2021
Prescott did go through pre-game warmups but ultimately McCarthy decided to play it safe. With the NFC East wide open for the Cowboys to win, it makes sense for McCarthy to prioritize the team's long-term goals and not risk his Pro Bowl quarterback sustaining a more serious injury. Dallas entered Week 8 with a three-game lead in their division.
Prescott came into this week leading the NFL in completion percentage at 73.1% while throwing for 1813 yards and 16 touchdowns. After suffering a right ankle fracture that made him miss the final 11 games last year, Prescott has picked up right where he left off, leading Dallas to the highest-scoring offense in the league and to a five-game winning streak after narrowly losing their season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cooper Rush will get his first NFL start against the Vikings. The 27-year-old undrafted product of Central Michigan has appeared in six NFL games since 2017, all with the Cowboys.
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