Mike McCarthy updates the health status of QB Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy shared an update on his ailing quarterback, Dak Prescott, on Tuesday ahead of practice.

McCarthy told reporters that Prescott will work through the individual periods of practice and then get evaluated. He may or may not participate in the Cowboys team portions.

The 26-year-old suffered a calf strain in the Cowboys’ win over New England less than two weeks ago. Entering the facility on Monday, however, he was boot-free and ready to prepare for Week 8 versus the Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys-Vikings game is in the primetime slot on Sunday night.

Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Prescott has “improved every day.” Despite this, backup QB Cooper Rush will still get more reps in the team portion than usual.

The Dallas Cowboys remained confident through the bye week that Dak Prescott would play this weekend. On Friday, Vice President Stephen Jones echoed that confidence last week on 105.3 The FAN.

“We’re very confident,” Jones said. “He obviously feels like he’s gonna be playing. I wouldn’t bet against him and feel confident that he’s going to do what he needs to do to get himself ready to play.”

Prescott playing MVP-caliber football

Dak Prescott is coming off a performance against the Patriots that saw him win Offensive Player of the Week honors in the NFC. In the Cowboys’ 35-29 overtime win, the Mississippi State product threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns with a completion percentage of 70.6% and a passer rating of 108.7.

This is the third injury Prescott has dealt with over the last year. Prescott suffered a devastating ankle injury that ended his season last October and dealt with a shoulder strain prior to the season.

Despite the injuries, Dak Prescott is having an MVP-caliber season. He’s leading a Dallas offense that ranks top five in the NFL, and the team looks to be a potential Super Bowl contender through six weeks. On the year, Prescott is second in the NFL in completion percentage (73.1%) and fifth in total passer rating (115.0). He’s thrown for 1,813 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

Largely in part to Prescott’s performance, the Cowboys sit atop the NFC East at this point with a 5-1 record. Running back Ezekiel Elliott has also had a big bounce-back season thus far. He has 521 yards and five touchdowns through six games. The defense was supposed to be the weakest part of the Cowboys this season. However, on the contrary, the unit has impressed behind a historic start by cornerback Trevon Diggs.