Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott continues his recovery from season-ending ankle surgery. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott focused on being ready for next season: 'I know my team needs me'

Dak Prescott's season ended before it could really get started, as he was forced to undergo surgery after suffering a compound fracture and dislocation to his right ankle during the Cowboys' Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants. Now, the quarterback is focused on getting ready for next season and he says that he is motivated by being there for his Dallas teammates.

"Each and every day, when I wake up and I go in for rehab, it's about, for me, seeing my leg or seeing my body do something that it didn't do the day before or creating a feeling that I didn't have the day before -- so I know that I'm continuing to get better," Prescott said. "And at the end of the day, I know my team needs me. I know that they need me now for support but they'll need me again later, so it's about helping them, whichever way that I can and however I can."

Prescott is hopeful that he will be ready to go for the start of the 2021 season, but the big question is if he will still be with the Cowboys. Dallas failed to reach a long-term deal with Prescott over the summer, meaning that the quarterback could hit the free-agent market after the season. Prescott is currently signed to a $31.4 million franchise tag and the team could use another tag on him in 2021.

But so far, the Cowboys have expressed their intent on keeping Prescott for the long haul, as the team has looked like a shell of itself on offense without their starting quarterback.

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