Cowboys HC challenges Dak Prescott to improve this aspect of his game

Quarterback Dak Prescott is looking to enjoy a bounce-back season after his 2024 campaign prematurely came to an end when he suffered a serious hamstring injury in Week 9. 

First-year Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer  recently shared a challenge for Prescott as the 32-year-old looks to put all that went wrong for the club last fall behind him. 

"Dak's gotta be able to run," Schottenheimer directly said, per
Todd Archer of ESPN. "Quarterbacks run in this league. That's what they do. Now, are we going to come out the first play of the season against [the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4] and run power read with the quarterback? No, probably not. But at the end of the day, 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. And he's a goo d athlete. He has to be smart, getting down. Hey, if he's in danger, slide. Get down. And that's what all the great ones do."

The StatMuse website shows that Prescott averaged a career-high 4.69 rushing attempts per game for the 2018 campaign. To compare, that number dipped to 1.63 attempts per contest last season until he was sidelined through Week 18. 

Schottenheimer's comments understandably could spark concerns among Cowboys fans who know all about Prescott's injury history. Back in October 2020, Prescott suffered a gruesome compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. He then dealt with a strained right calf the following fall. Prescott later missed time during the 2022 season because of a thumb injury. 

"I can't say, 'OK, the hammy's good,' and I don't need to run anymore. Well, no, I've got to continue to be pushing running," Prescott recently acknowledged. "I need to continue to do things that have gotten me to this point because it's only going to get me healthier and only going to allow me to do the things that I want to do during the season and throughout the season."

Prescott finished second in the 2023 regular-season Most Valuable Player Award voting when Schottenheimer was Dallas' offensive coordinator. That year, Prescott averaged 3.24 rushing attempts per game. Perhaps something around that mark will prove to be the sweet spot as it pertains to the Cowboys getting the most out of Prescott's physical gifts while keeping him as healthy as possible through January 2026.