NFL
Dak Prescott Frightens Cowboys Fans With Major Injury Update He Kept a Secret for 2 Months
There’s no shortage of question marks surrounding Dak Prescott‘s future with the Dallas Cowboys. The franchise quarterback still isn’t signed to a long-term deal with the team, and there’s no telling how effective he will be next season returning from a devastating ankle injury.
Prescott underwent surgery to repair his fractured and dislocated ankle that same night, but the latest injury update that Prescott has been keeping a secret for two months should frighten Cowboys fans.
Dak Prescott suffered a scary ankle injury in Week 5
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Back in October, the Cowboys still had hopes and dreams of a Super Bowl with Dak Prescott under center and an abundance of weapons surrounding him on offense. Dallas started the season 1-3, but Prescott was playing the best football of his young career, and it was only a matter of time until the defense found its footing.
The Cowboys found themselves in a dog fight against the division-rival New York Giants in Week 5. Dallas held a slim, one-point lead midway through the third quarter when Prescott took off on a first-down scramble up the middle. He was tackled awkwardly near the Giants’ 20-yard line, and everyone watching immediately knew there was something seriously wrong.
Prescott looked down at his right ankle and realized it was pointing sideways. He was eventually carted off the field by team doctors as tears streamed down his face, and he was later diagnosed with a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle.
Prescott underwent emergency surgery a few hours later, and it was thankfully a success. He was officially ruled out for the season.
Prescott has been keeping his latest injury update a secret for two months
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There haven’t been many injury updates attributed to Dak Prescott’s ankle over the last few months. The initial surgery was a success, and all there was left to do was rehab and hope the ankle could heal in time for the start of the 2021 season.
But it turns out Prescott has been keeping a major secret regarding his ankle for nearly two months. According to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Prescott underwent a second surgery on his right ankle in December that was unrelated to his original surgery.
Sources say Prescott underwent a second — and previously unreported — procedure on the ankle about two months later to strengthen his deltoid ligament, clean out the ankle and make it more structurally sound. That procedure wasn’t directly related to the October surgery; rather, doctors then spotted issues related to past injuries to the same ankle, and so once the risk of infection was eliminated, they went back in to clean up the rest.
After the second surgery in early December, Prescott had to take about a week off from rehab to let the wound heal, but it improved the stability and integrity of the ankle and should accelerate his overall recovery, per sources. He’s now walking without issue, doing weight-bearing exercises and is expected to be ready for action long before the 2021 season begins.
Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport
The delayed news of a secret surgery can’t be comforting for Cowboys fans hoping to see Prescott back in uniform in 2021, but the QB should still be ready for next season’s opener.
Dak Prescott is still on pace to return for Week 1
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Immediately after Dak Prescott underwent his first successful surgery, doctors pegged his return timeline as four to six months. He couldn’t have returned at any point during the 2020 season, but his ankle should be 100% healed by Week 1 later this year. In fact, Pelissero and Rapoport added in their joint report that Prescott could even be ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Now the focus shifts to Prescott’s impending long-term contract negotiations. Jerry Jones, you’re on the clock.