Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott takes the snap at training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Brian Schottenheimer shares plan for Cowboys starters in preseason opener

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Richie Whitt | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 6:58 AM ET

Dak Prescott hasn't taken a preseason snap since Jason Garrett was the Dallas Cowboys' head coach. Could that change Saturday night against the Los Angeles Rams?

Because of a back injury, we know Rams' star quarterback Matthew Stafford won't play in the preseason opener. Because of a contract dispute, the same can be said for elite pass-rusher Micah Parsons.

As for Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys' starters? Even after head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the game on Wednesday in Oxnard, California, that decision seems up in the air.

"It's a work in progress,” Schotty said when asked how he would split playing time against the Rams at SoFi Stadium, via Tommy Yarrish of the team's official website. "There’s a group of players that won’t play, and others that they’ll try to get a certain amount of snaps. Don't just look at it with the Rams. We have a number of snaps we're trying to get for certain guys throughout the entire preseason."

The Cowboys might want Prescott to play a series or two in order to build game-speed sync with new receiver George Pickens. If he doesn't play, it might mean a huge workload for third-string quarterback Will Grier.

That's because backup Joe Milton injured his thumb in Tuesday's scrimmage against the Rams and left practice. Schottenheimer said Wednesday that the injury - a banged thumb on a helmet - isn't believed to be serious and that Milton is expected to be ready for Saturday.

Prescott hasn't taken a preseason snap since Aug. 24, 2019, when he played the first series of a 34-0 victory over the Houston Texans. COVID wiped out the 2020 preseason, and Mike McCarthy didn't play him during his final four years.

Prescott, now 32, missed significant playing time during the regular season in 2020, a single game in 2021, in 2022 and more than half of 2024.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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