Cowboys Dak Prescott in boot after injuring calf vs. Patriots, expected to rest during bye week – CBSSports.com

The Cowboys won yet another high-scoring game on Sunday, with star quarterback Dak Prescott throwing 445 yards and three touchdowns to edge the Patriots in overtime and solidify their place as the top dog in the NFC East at 5-1. Their Week 7 bye comes at an opportune time, however, with Prescott once again banged up in the wake of Sunday’s victory. The MVP candidate came down awkwardly on his game-winning throw, Prescott told reporters, before being helped to the locker room. Now, he’s wearing a protective boot on his right leg, with further tests on deck for what’s officially been deemed a calf strain.

Prescott added that he wouldn’t have left Sunday’s game due to the injury, given his adrenaline. As the adrenaline wore off postgame, however, he could tell something wasn’t right with his right calf, as USA Today‘s Jori Epstein notes.

“Life keeps throwing punches,” Prescott said, per Epstein, “and I’ll keep throwing them back. It doesn’t hurt as bad when you score and win the game.

Prescott didn’t seem concerned at all, having some fun with the media postgame, per ESPN’s Todd Archer: “I’ll be fine. I can promise you that. Great timing going into the bye week but as I said y’all can have fun with it this week.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Monday that Prescott suffered a calf strain in the game. He added that the plan is for Prescott to rest and rehab during the team’s bye week before hopefully returning to full practice the following Monday.

“There is a variance in timelines but we’re optimistic for Minnesota,” McCarthy said of the Cowboys’ Week 8 game against the Vikings.

Prescott is no stranger to injuries. He spent the entire 2021 offseason rehabbing from an ankle injury that sidelined him for all but five games in 2020, then battled a shoulder issue that surfaced in training camp. Those injuries haven’t affected his performance this year, with the Pro Bowl signal-caller posting some of the top passing marks of the season to date. It’s unclear whether his newest injury will require Prescott to miss any practice, but he’ll have the bye for any extra recovery this one requires.