And if you’ve followed Dak Prescott since 2020, you probably know that one thing he’s been missing. It’s that good old confidence. Ever since that ankle horror show five years ago, you can see that nervousness every single time he makes a stride. Fast forward to now, and the QB is finally sounding like the one that was promised to the Cowboys when he arrived in 2016.

Asked if last year’s hamstring is still hanging around, Dak brushed it off quickly. “That’s been behind me since the offseason. For me it’s about doing more running than I’ve done in the past years. Whether it’s practice or throughout the week, to make sure I’m ready for game one, where there’s a lot of running or whenever it is down the season. Just making sure my body is ready for it.” Yeah, we might see the real Dak after five good years.

Let’s give you some context on the hamstring bit. Back in Week 9 against Atlanta, Dak’s season shut down on a brutal hamstring avulsion: tendon pulling off the bone. Fast-forward, and he says he could suit up right now if he had to. But with a new staff in charge, the ramp-up is staying measured, all eyes locked on Week 1 in Philly.

And the ‘five-year-old curse’ traces back to 2020, when Dak’s right ankle gave way in that Week 5 game against the Giants. He came back slinging in 2021, sure. But the rushing juice that used to separate him never fully returned, at least if you go by the numbers.

The numbers would tell you the entire story. Before the ankle injury, Dak had four straight seasons with 3000+ yards and 20+ touchdowns each. The 2019 season was his best, when he posted 4902 yards and 30 touchdowns. Then came the 2020 season. That’s the red-zone Dak everyone remembers. Post-injury, the totals slid in his rushing game: 2021: 48 rushes, 146 yards, 1 TD; 2022: 45 rushes, 182 yards, 1 TD; 2023: 55 rushes, 242 yards, 2 TD; 2024: 13 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD in eight games before the hamstring. Though he had fair passing stats, one thing he lacked was consistency.

Even last year, right before the hamstring gave out, there were flashes: a career-long 22-yard run that hinted the accelerator was still there. But he never topped two rushing attempts in any game before that setback.

Dak’s been clear since spring. He’s running more in rehab and practice, and he already feels game-ready. The focus isn’t on guarding the hamstring anymore; it’s on rebuilding the habit. His words, not ours. And if you’ve been missing QB keepers, he basically told you to block off Thursday night. Oh, and that’s not all that he said.

Dak opens up about the Micah-Cowboys saga

Dak didn’t keep the focus all to himself. He weighed in on the Micah Parsons contract noise, too. Prescott said he’s sure No. 11 will be there when it counts, reminding everyone he’s had his own long negotiations with Jerry Jones that got loud before they got settled. He’s out there instilling hope in every Cowboys fan’s hearts.

“I’ve got confidence,” Prescott said of a deal getting done, per beat reporter Clarence Hill Jr. “I told y’all way back when. I’m just going off of experience, honestly, no different than mine. I’ve got confidence in that.” But here’s the thing. This is nowhere like Dak’s contract negotiation.

The Micah-Cowboys relationship seems to be at the point of no return. And after months of taking shots at Micah, his loyalty, and fitness, and lying about the fact that his agent told you to stick the proposed contract “up your a–“? It just seems beyond saving. And Micah is not Dak.

Dak perceived the contract negotiations differently. “That’s what happens in business, people get emotional and people make it personal at times. But when that deal happens, we can make it go away. The tension wasn’t personal to begin with; it was over business. And so once that business deal happens, you can move forward.” This was his mentality.

Well, in Micah’s case, it seems to have gotten personal. And amidst the trade request, posting those not-so-subtle verses, it doesn’t seem like either Jerry or Micah wants to make it work.