Dak Prescott knew he'd stay with Cowboys, vows to 'be ready when it matters'

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott began the 2020 NFL season playing under the franchise tag after he failed to land a long-term deal with the club and then suffered a gruesome, season-ending ankle injury on Oct. 11. 

His story has at least somewhat of a happy ending, however, as he recently agreed to a four-year contract with the Cowboys that could earn him over $160 million. The signal-caller who turns 28 years old in July spoke with reporters on Wednesday and, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, kept the faith that "America's Team" would remain his NFL home. 

"Through this whole time, I never had any doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here," Prescott explained. 

He continued: 

"I grew up a Dallas Cowboy fan. Never in a million years did I imagine not being a Cowboy once I put on this uniform and put on the star. Through it all, through the two years I guess you could say or more, there was never a slight doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t wear the star for the rest of my life. As [executive vice president] Charlotte [Jones] told me a couple of days ago, when you sign on that line you’re a Cowboy forever, and you can’t get out. I’m excited for that. I’m excited to be here and to never leave and excited . . . just to go do it and just to know this is my home. I’m not leaving. I’m a Cowboy, and this is only the beginning." 

Williams also noted that Prescott underwent surgery following the initial injury in October and then required a follow-up procedure in December. Nevertheless, the locked-down face of the Cowboys suggested he'll be on the field come Week 1 in September:

"As I say, I’m ready and I’m getting close. I feel good. You saw me walk out here. I can do a lot of things that I obviously couldn’t do weeks ago and even days ago that I’m doing today. So it’s hard to say that I’ll ready in this time or that time, but I’ll be ready when it matters, and I’ll be more than healthy and better than I was before."

Any athlete who suffers such a serious and potentially life-altering injury becomes a "wait-and-see" case, and Prescott will be no different over the next several months. All that's known today is that he's currently not the player he was on the morning of Oct. 11.