Mike McCarthy: Dak Prescott 'probably won't play' in preseason

Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters last month he wanted to take some snaps in preseason games to face live defenses when the final score doesn't matter as he continues to recover from the gruesome compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle he suffered last October. 

As of last week, the plan was for Prescott to take the field for this Saturday's matchup against the Houston Texans. It appears, however, the situation has changed.

"There's a good chance he probably won't play. Yes, that's fair," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said about Prescott Wednesday, per Todd Archer of ESPN.

Prescott has been slowed by a right latissimus strain he first suffered in late July, and McCarthy added he "trusts" that practices will be enough to get Prescott ready for the regular-season opener at the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9. 

"The tempo of how we practice, the cadence variations and the emphasis of the game situations, I feel really good about what we're able to get done in this environment as opposed to relying on preseason games," McCarthy explained. "I've always felt the preseason games were primarily for the development of your young players. I do know this is our first year going through training camp."

McCarthy also ruled his QB1 out for the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 29.