Cowboys fans watching Oxnard were taken on a rollercoaster Friday that lasted all of 15 minutes, but provided quite a ride nevertheless.
It started with reports from media on the ground at training camp that quarterback Dak Prescott was not on the field with the rest of the team for its scheduled practice session. That news was accompanied by the revelation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, team executive vice president Stephen Jones, VP of player personnel Will McClay, head coach Mike McCarthy, and VP of football operations and administration Todd Williams were also notably missing.
Predictably, Cowboys Nation lost its collective mind, wondering if it meant that the group was holed up in a meeting room, perhaps literally signing the paperwork on what has been largely expected to be a record-setting extension that would bind the quarterback to the team beyond the upcoming season.
No Jerry Jones. No Stephen Jones. No Will McClay. No Todd Williams. No Mike McCarthy.
There’s some buzzing going on around here. https://t.co/ab0f6mnDEv
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) August 9, 2024
The buzz on social media reached a fever pitch, with many observers convinced that an announcement was imminent, ensuring that the Cowboys and their $60 million man would be the talk of the league for the preseason’s opening weekend.
— Dana B âś (@day_nuh_bee) August 9, 2024
Battle stations? https://t.co/Q4HeVPbY9n
— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) August 9, 2024
Yoooooo https://t.co/tkeKZGdpxP
— Collin Brennan (@producerCollin) August 9, 2024
https://t.co/OB83Fc4gFg pic.twitter.com/P6wavLYvHJ
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) August 9, 2024
— iisha Morrison (@Iishamorrison) August 9, 2024
https://t.co/NscTCRwshO pic.twitter.com/Pp6qT4xIqL
— Matthew J. Lenix (@StarConscience) August 9, 2024
https://t.co/6yHYkAPiYz pic.twitter.com/rOcdWf9g9J
— Matt Owen (@ProfessorO_NFL) August 9, 2024
https://t.co/qKZcGuN8QQ pic.twitter.com/Ebdkf1dbde
— AuntieBullPup (@jsHere4football) August 9, 2024
The excitement was very short-lived, though, with word spreading of why Prescott would be sitting out the day’s practice. He was not inking a new deal but instead experiencing ankle soreness, his surprise rest day being called “precautionary.”
Update: Ankle soreness (rest day as a precaution) for Dak Prescott. #Cowboys https://t.co/bpFKsoY0m9
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 9, 2024
Cowboys fans had a similar freak-out back in early July when a photo surfaced of Prescott wearing a protective boot while on vacation. After a few hours of nail-biting over whether it was evidence of some new injury or a troubling flare-up of a previous malady, the quarterback himself explained it away as basic maintenance after a couple hard days of practice.
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Prescott is already expected to sit out all three of the Cowboys’ preseason games. But after some solid work on Thursday in a joint practice with the Rams, his surgically-repaired ankle from 2020 might understandably be a little tender on Friday.
Prescott told reporters after the Rams scrimmage, “I could play a game right now.”
Maybe not, as it turned out. And he’ll take the day off instead to rest his ankle.
But his signing hand was free. And for a few glorious, hope-filled minutes to close out the week, that’s what Cowboys fans were far more focused on.
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