Cowboys Announce Perfectly Clear Dak Prescott Statement On What QB's 'Got To Be Able To' Do

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was a dual-threat in the first few years in the league, being able to pick up yards with his legs to keep the chains moving.

But over the past few seasons, as Dak has gotten older and the injuries have piled up, we are seeing less and less of him as a runner. Now, when I say runner, I don't mean Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen-style, more so Patrick Mahomes or Baker Mayfield.

In the sense that if a play breaks down, can Dak scoot upfield for a handful of yards to keep the offense on track? Given that part of Prescott's hamstring was torn off the bone in Week 9 of last year, ending his season, the group of people wanting to see him still be a runner is rather small.

However, Dak might think otherwise, with his race against CeeDee Lamb in Oxnard raising eyebrows, but even head coach Brian Schottenheimer knows that Prescott has to be able to use his legs in 2025.

“Yeah, Dak's got to be able to run,” Schottenheimer said. “Quarterbacks run in this league, that's what they do. Are we going to come out first play of the season against Philadelphia and run power read with the quarterback? No, probably not. But at the end of the day, yeah, he's got to move. He's got to make plays. He's got to extend plays.

"Can we run him? Sure. We'll run him, he's a good athlete. He has to be smart getting down, if he's in danger, slide, get down. That's what all the great ones do.”

The very thought of Dak taking off and running is nightmare fuel for some sections of Cowboys Nation, but there's no denying the value of having the danger of Prescott taking off can have for the offense.

We have seen read-option plays work well in the past, and even in training camp, so Dak still does have that club in his bag, and maybe getting that sort of work in Oxnard is to get his body used to that type of movement.

Because we don't want Dak's first "running play" of 2025 to be in Week 1 at full speed, that's a recipe for disaster.

But if you thought Prescott wasn't going to run this season under Schottenheimer, the first-time head coach just told you that No. 4's wheels will be moving.