Dak Prescott injury: How long will Cowboys QB be out for?

Dak Prescott and his Dallas Cowboys are riding a six-game winning streak into Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

During the Cowboys' Week 6 thrilling overtime win against the New England Patriots, Prescott injured his calf on a game-winning touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb.

After the game, Prescott was seen with straps on his right calf and walking with a noticeable limp. That begs the question: Will Prescott take the field Sunday night in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings?

When will Dak Prescott return from injury?

On Wednesday morning, from team headquarters, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the following about his quarterback status for Week 8:

"He's going to practice, he's going to go through individual drills, he's in the game plans. He's preparing to play. But, he's got to cross the threshold to make sure he's full go."

McCarthy added:

"We don't want this to be a week-to-week decision, so until he clears that threshold, to try to minimize the risk is really what the decision will come down to. The ability to improve each day and not have a setback, that's what we're really focused on."

McCarthy has laid the groundwork for Prescott to be a participant in the game Sunday and barring any significant setbacks, you can expect to see him once again in the starting role. The news was also reported by NFL analyst Ian Rapoport earlier in the week.

The Cowboys have a reason for angst with Prescott's strained calf

The Dallas Cowboys are being very cautious with their franchise quarterback and his strained right calf.

Carolina Panthers v Dallas Cowboys

The first of those reasons is because of the whopping four-year, $160 million deal (not including bonuses and incentives) that the Cowboys signed Prescott to back in March of this year.

Owner Jerry Jones would most certainly like to see a return on his investment. But the second reason, and likely most important, is that Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle fracture last year in a Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants. So far this season, Prescott has looked as if he is just about back from the injury that saw him carted off the field in tears almost precisely a year ago.

As one of the early-season frontrunners for NFL MVP, Prescott will look to retake the field this Sunday with the hopes of leading the Cowboys to a seven-game winning streak.

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