‘Sorry for the language’: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott reflects on 2024, reignites his connection with CeeDee Lamb

FRISCO, Texas — No NFL team’s season officially ends in Week 9. However, the Dallas Cowboys‘ 2024 campaign (7-10) was essentially dead in the water the moment three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott came up limping against the Atlanta Falcons. 

Shortly thereafter, Prescott was ruled out for the year and underwent season-ending surgery for a torn hamstring. He’s now ready to roll for the Cowboys’ 2025 offseason program under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who noted on Tuesday that the 31-year-old 2023 NFL MVP runner-up is “progressing nicely.”

“He looks good,” Schottenheimer said. “You guys will see him out there today. He’s doing his normal stuff. He’s getting most of the work with the ones. We’re rolling some guys through there but you’ll see him. He looks good. I think he’s progressing nicely.”

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Chris Bengel

Prescott looked smooth at Dallas’ second practice of organized team activities (OTAs) while throwing the football to all areas of the field. He even scrambled a few times was looked fluid when doing so, which makes sense considering he’s approaching being fully cleared to play. Presoctt’s sole limitation at the moment is playing full-contact football. That won’t be a factor for the next few months. Prescott is certainly tracking toward being fully cleared by the time Dallas opens the NFL’s 2025 season at the Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles in Philadelphia. 

“Pretty much can do it all,” Prescott said. “Feel good. Yeah, I think I’m just not cleared for contact, which we’ve got a while for that anyways. Yeah, I’m out there in the team activities, feel good. Just trying to stay that way. Yeah, feeling great.”

This recovery pace has Prescott right on his originally-planned schedule. He previously told CBS Sports in December his plan was to start OTAs full-go, and that’s exactly what has transpired. He credits being where he is now with his injury occurring midseason and working tirelessly with Cowboys director of rehab Britt Brown and his personal physical therapist Luke Miller. 

“I mean f—, I was hurt,” Prescott said. “Excuse me. My offseason started way earlier. Sorry for the language, but my offseason started way earlier so that’s really essentially why I’m ahead, on top of working with Brit working with this training staff and Luke [Miller]. I just show up and control what I can control healthy. Trying to stay healthy. Feels good. Yeah just trying to push the energy and make sure I continue to get better.”

Some, including Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, have referred to Prescott as “slim reaper” this offseason because of Prescott’s seemingly leaner physique. The body change is something the quarterback himself labels as “nothing major.” 

“I just think my fiancé is keeping me away from the sweets,” Prescott said with a grin. “I ask for ice cream, she brings me protein yogurt. So I just think stuff like that honestly has helped [along with] the rehab.”

For the first time, Prescott is the longest-tenured player on the Cowboys’ roster. Entering his 10th NFL season, he holds the title after seven-time first-team All-Pro right guard Zack Martin retired this offseason and four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. They were the first two picks of the Cowboys’ 2014 draft class while Prescott was a fourth-round pick in their 2016 class. 

“It’s amazing how fast it happens …” Prescott said. “There’s reflection here and there, especially, when you’re injured at the time that I was injured, as long as I was injured. … There was time for that reflection. And yeah, it just makes you that more humble, that much more hungry and blessed, blessed to be here, blessed to be doing what I’m doing, walking through these doors every day, playing the game that I love. … Yeah, I’m the uncle. The guys in there [the locker room] say that. I’m Unc.”

Dak Presoctt-CeeDee Lamb connection cleared for takeoff 

Another major development for Dallas’ offense is All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb being back and ready to roll for the start of the Cowboys’ offseason program, something that hasn’t happened since the 2023 offseason. This time last year, Lamb was in the midst of a contract holdout that dragged on until late August before he re-signed on a four-year, $136 million extension. With that in the rearview mirror, he and Prescott can spend all offseason getting their work in. The last time that happened in 2023, Prescott led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns, and Lamb led the league with 135 catches. 

“This [practice] is kind of where you win everything,” Lamb said. “This is where everything starts, the 2025 season starts now. So for us, taking every opportunity, every rep, being grateful to be out there again with guys as we’re getting healthy. Back to just enjoying ball again.”

Like Prescott, Lamb is also recovering from an injury. He suffered a significant AC joint injury in his shoulder that caused him to miss the final two games of Dallas’ 2024 season. He played through it for weeks and then finished the Cowboys’ Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, saying his focus was on “keeping my shoulder attached to my body.”

“I want to say a good five months of real recovery and rehab,” Lamb said of how long it took for him to heal his shoulder. “I don’t know, I’m grateful to have two arms. I can tell you that.”

Last year when Lamb didn’t participate in OTAs because of his contract, the Cowboys’ passing game struggled out of the game with frustration boiling over in their 28-25 Week 3 home loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The All-Pro wideout fumbled in the red zone, misplayed throws from Prescott and had intense sideline conversations with teammates. Lamb took ownership of his part in the lack of chemistry and vowed from then on to play with a cooler head, saying at the time, “No craziness now.” Thanks to Prescott and Lamb both being healthy and participating in the offseason program, the Cowboys likely won’t have to deal with the early-season frustrations of yesteryear. That could pay major dividends for their offense out the gate in 2025.

“And then you can bring in a guy like GP [George Pickens],” Prescott said, “[and] we’re getting ready for Game 1 now with the guys here.”