Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Wednesday that there's a "good chance" quarterback Dak Prescott -- who's currently dealing with a shoulder strain -- won't play against the Houston Texans on Aug. 21.
Even without preseason work, the Cowboys insist that Prescott will be ready for their regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9. But is his shoulder injury more serious than initially expected?
"I think they're sandbagging a little bit here," CBS Sports senior NFL reporter Jonathan Jones told The DA Show on Wednesday. "He gets to training camp, it's a non-contact injury. So, that's No. 1. That's always concerning in football. No. 2, it's not the usual throwing shoulder injury. It's underneath the shoulder, more of a baseball injury. Well, that's weird. No. 3, you have some of the finest doctors in all of team sports now consulting with other team doctors...
"I think reasonable people can agree or disagree on how much preseason a veteran needs... To say that there's nothing here to worry about and for the Cowboys to be preaching, 'Just being cautious, we're okay,' I do certainly believe -- just on a very basic, common sense level -- that there's more worry out there than they're willing to say."
Prescott, who's fully recovered from a devastating ankle injury suffered during Week 5 of last season, sustained the shoulder strain during practice back on July 28. The 28-year-old has been a limited participant in practice this week, as weekend MRI results confirmed that his shoulder is healing properly.
McCarthy said on Monday that the team will use their fourth preseason game on Aug. 29 to evaluate the bottom of their roster before final cuts. This means Prescott's last and only shot at preseason action would come this Saturday.
According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Cowboys are currently the favorite (+120) to win the NFC East, and their odds to win the conference (+1500) rank sixth-best.
The entire NFL conversation with Jones can be accessed in the audio player above.
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