Cowboys' Dak Prescott no longer on a pitch count after returning to team drills at training camp

The QB is well on track to start Week 1 against the Buccaneers

The Cowboys have insisted for a while that Dak Prescott will be ready for Week 1. Now, their actions are aligning with their words. A day after the quarterback returned to team drills at training camp for the first time since late July, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore told reporters the team has removed all practice restrictions from Prescott, who had been on a pitch count while recovering from a shoulder injury. All signs point toward full participation from Prescott in the lead-up to Dallas' opener on Sept. 9.

"We're just playing ball at this point," Moore said, as noted by CBS Sports' Patrik Walker. "We're not looking at anything from a limitation standpoint ... From his standpoint we're getting ready for the regular season and Tampa Bay."

It's a marked improvement from a few weeks ago, when Prescott pulled himself out of practice while nursing the shoulder issue and eventually underwent additional testing on the ailment. That injury, of course, came in the middle of the QB's return from an ankle injury that ended his 2020 season prematurely. The Cowboys have preached patience and optimism along the way, assuring fans the Pro Bowler will be up to speed for the start of the new year.

Dallas closes its 2021 preseason on Sunday against the Jaguars, though Prescott is not expected to suit up until the real games begin.

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