Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott recently went viral after a Spanish-language sportscaster shared a photo of him wearing a walking boot while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Fans promptly expressed concerns because Prescott wore the boot on the same foot where he had suffered season-ending ankle surgery in 2020, limiting him to five games in what looked like an MVP-like campaign.
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Conversely, FS1 host Craig Carton doesn’t see this as an issue regarding Prescott’s ability to perform on the football field. The sports media personality added that the Cowboys QB looked 100 percent healthy based on all the Cowboys OTAs he had attended this offseason. However, Carton questioned the vacation spot Prescott had chosen, knowing well it would adversely affect his body.
“If the ankle swells up when you go deep sea fishing, don’t go deep sea fishing until you retire. You have plenty of time to catch marlin and yellowfin tuna.”
Carton then referenced an article by Fort Worth Star-Telegram journalist and long-time Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr., wherein Prescott explained his decision to wear the walking boot. The 2023 Second-Team All-Pro quarterback revealed it’s a precaution because deep sea fishing causes his ankles to swell.
While the viral picture doesn’t portray a good optic, Prescott assured Hill Jr. that he was in excellent physical condition weeks before their training camp in Oxnard, California. After all, he did play in 18 Cowboys games last season (playoffs included) after missing five games in 2022 due to a thumb injury.
The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback also addressed reports about his sprained foot. He told the columnist there was no truth to that injury, saying, “People be reaching man.” A source reportedly told ESPN’s Todd Archer that Prescott suffered a minor foot sprain, hence the alleged need for the walking boot.
Does Wearing a Walking Boot Affect Prescott’s Contract Negotiations?
Prescott wearing a walking boot isn’t big news, especially considering he finished the 2023 season injury-free. Even Ryan Shazier, the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker who underwent spinal stabilization surgery, shared with Carton, David Jacoby, and Plaxico Burress that he had minor maintenance procedures that fans and the media might amplify as severe operations.
However, Carton raised the concern that Prescott wearing a walking boot could hinder his contract negotiations. If Cowboys team owner and de facto general manager Jerry Jones were to view this injury as something that could derail the club’s progression in the upcoming season, it could arguably delay the impending extension.
The former Mississippi State standout has one season left in the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021, and both sides continue to work on an agreement. The delay is familiar territory to Prescott because he received the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons before signing his long-term deal.
Meanwhile, Burress mentioned that if Prescott loves fishing, he should do it from a pier, not a boat, to avoid ankle swelling. The Super Bowl-winning wide receiver added that Prescott could select a more relaxed vacation to prevent such a ruckus.
