Dak Prescott to miss Hall of Fame Game as Cowboys, QB take 'step back' in shoulder rehabilitation

OXNARD, Calif. — The Cowboys have “taken a step back” in quarterback Dak Prescott's rehabilitation from a strained shoulder, head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday morning.

The quarterback underwent an MRI on his shoulder last Wednesday after experiencing tightness and soreness he felt was atypical. He has not thrown in practice since.

And Prescott will not compete in the Cowboys’ debut preseason game Thursday, the Hall of Fame Game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Canton, Ohio.

“We still feel the same about the type of injury but we’re being more conservative with the timeline,” McCarthy said. “After research and looking at it, we just don’t want this to turn into something big. He’s doing everything he possibly can but we’re being more conservative with the rehab.”

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Prescott said Friday that before throwing he wants to feel “a little less tightness” in his shoulder. He speculates that the strain resulted from a throw he attempted without warming up sufficiently and insists he doesn’t “worry about lingering or causing problems." It’s “making a deep throw or an aggressive throw right now that I don't want to risk,” Prescott said.

The Cowboys project Prescott would be available with an injury of this severity if the season were in session.

But with five weeks in play until Dallas opens at Tampa Bay, a target for Prescott resuming throwing has not been established. The quarterback will be on a pitch count when he resumes. Until then, Prescott has suited up for each practice and cycled through individual drills to hone his footwork and technique. He continues to wear his helmet to hear each team-drill play call, while also undergoing resistance training with rehabilitation director Britt Brown.

Sunday, Prescott stayed after practice to run sprints.

The combination reassures the Cowboys that, despite the caution they will continue to take with his shoulder, Prescott’s surgically repaired ankle is healthy. Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle against the Giants on Oct. 11, 2020. He underwent emergency surgery that night and a second surgery in December to further stabilize the ankle. Prescott reintegrated into spring practices in May, save 11-on-11 team drills with a live pass rush. By training camp in July, he had assumed those responsibilities, too. Mentally, Prescott insists he has “buried the injury.”

In March, the Cowboys did not wait for full medical clearance before signing Prescott to a four-year, $160 million extension with $126 million guaranteed.

The next hurdle for his ankle: competing in a preseason game and getting tackled. Prescott wants to play in the preseason, he said, and McCarthy had anticipated cycling him in. Wednesday, McCarthy said preseason competition is still in play if Prescott’s shoulder heals quickly enough.

“It’s not really a matter of how much he plays – it’s who he plays with,” McCarthy said. “It’s more about the coordination and timing of who he’s in there. I don’t think you just play your starter just to play him.”

Prescott will not be the only notable figure to sit out Thursday's game, as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Tuesday that Ben Roethlisberger would be one of multiple veterans that the team would hold out of the contest.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dak Prescott shoulder injury: Cowboys take 'step back' in QB's rehab