Will Dak Prescott Start for Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 vs Tampa Bay? Latest Shoulder Injury Update

(Photo : Tom Pennington/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sidelines as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Houston Texans in the first quarter of a preseason NFL game at the AT&T Stadium on August 21, 2021 in Arlington, Texas.

The start of the 2021 NFL season is less than three weeks away, and Dak Prescott's status for Dallas Cowboys' much-anticipated opening game against reigning champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers remains a mystery at this point.

Prescott's training camp with Dallas has been discouraging, to say the least, with the Cowboys QB hampered with a shoulder strain that he suffered at the outset. Even though the Cowboys have continually told the media that Prescott's injury is no big deal, there's growing concern among the Dallas fanbase that his shoulder problem is more serious than previously thought.

Prescott misses Dallas' entire preseason slate

Contrary to what Prescott told reporters in an interview the previous week, the Cowboys starting quarterback did not play in Dallas' preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Saturday night.

It was the third straight exhibition that Prescott missed this preseason, meaning that his first snap in a game since suffering the brutal ankle injury that ended his 2020 season will come in the season opener on September 9 against Tom Brady and the rest of the Super Bowl champ Bucs.

That is still a big question mark at this stage, though, with Prescott's timeline of when he will return to action constantly being adjusted by the Cowboys. Adding fuel to the fire was the statement made by ESPN's Adam Schefter Friday night during halftime of the preseason matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals.

Schefter made a bombshell comment regarding Prescott's shoulder strain and his lingering absence with Dallas, saying, "He's not fully back, he may not be back all season long." Before Dallas fans overreact, what Schefter was trying to say is that Prescott might not be able to return to being 100 percent this season given his shoulder injury and the broken ankle he suffered last year.

Will Prescott play in Week 1 against the Bucs?

However, the Dallas Cowboys don't believe that assessment, with NFL Network's Tom Pelissero relaying information from the team that Prescott is ready to get into games right now. The Cowboys want nothing more than a fully fit Prescott for the 2021 season especially given the huge amount of money they have invested in the 28-year-old.

After years of negotiations, the Cowboys finally signed Prescott to a long-term deal, with both parties agreeing on a massive four-year, $160 million deal during the offseason. The Cowboys have taken a conservative approach on dealing with their franchise quarterback's new ailment, with Prescott saying that he has never experienced shoulder issues before.

Cowboys fans surely hope that is the case, and Prescott will be there as Dallas' starting quarterback on Opening Night against the Bucs. September 9 can't come soon enough.