Cowboys QB Dak Prescott caused quite a stir on the 4th of July. Prescott was seen wearing a walking boot on July 3rd, and the image began to circulate on football Twitter during the July 4th holiday. The image caused concern about Prescott's availability for Cowboys training camp at the end of July. Prescott has since broken his silence and responded to the image in question.
The Cowboys QB spoke briefly with the Forth Worth Star-Telegram about the situation. He started by saying “I'm great” in a text to the Star-Telegram. Prescott also told reporter Clarence Hill that the boot is part of his regular maintenance since he fractured his right ankle in 2020.
“The same ankle, same issues,” Prescott told Hill.
Prescott also clarified that he was wearing the boot for precautionary reasons because “the last time I went deep sea fishing my (ankle) swole up.”
The number of sources responding to this story with little bits and pieces of information, which are sometimes contradictory, does make it seem like a bit of a PR job.
For example, one source told ESPN that Prescott is no longer wearing the boot. Meanwhile, Ian Rapaport and others, including Prescott himself, has said he was wearing the boot but only for a minor injury.
The reporting by the Star-Telegram added a few more nuggets of information.
A Cowboys source with knowledge of the injury characterized it as ankle soreness and nothing serious. Prescott said in response to the sprained foot report, “people be reaching man.”
It will be interesting to see if this story follows Prescott into training camp or the preseason. Nobody will care about this story as long as Prescott is ready to suit up in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns.
Cam Newton blasts Cowboys' status as “America's team”
The Cowboys have been anointed as “America's team” for the last several of decades. Pat Summerall introduced the Cowboys with that name during a CBS game during the 1979 season and the name stuck.
However, there has started to become some pushback over the past couple of years to the Cowboys still holding this name. Cam Newton recently joined that camp of critics.
During a recent episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, Newton blasted the Cowboys for no longer living up to the “America's team” name.
“They don’t seem to know how to win, and then everybody points fingers at Dak (Prescott),” Newton said. “I understand the whole America’s team. That is not America’s team no more ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know who had to say that. The Kansas City Chiefs is America’s team by way of who’s dating who, and who’s winning what. They are America’s team. Let’s stop lying to ourselves okay? If y’all want to get back to that title y’all got to obviously win, okay.”
Part of the problem with the moniker is that there is no clear definition. Newton suggests the Kansas City Chiefs as the next “America's team” and for good reason. They are the strongest dynasty in the NFL right now and have a chance make league history if they can win the Super Bowl this year.
During the 2023 season, there was also momentum around the Detroit Lions as “America's team” due to the underdog team finally finding some success. These two teams show that the name “America's team” doesn't ultimately mean that much if people use the term to describe completely different things.
Perhaps the Dallas Cowboys can retake the throne as “America's team” with a strong performance in the 2024 NFL season.
