Dak tests thumb with throws; Rush likely to start

FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys backmost Dak Prescott was throwing passes Wednesday for the archetypal clip since undergoing country connected his close thumb, but helium is expected to miss his 5th consecutive crippled Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"We are preparing for Cooper [Rush] to commencement against the Eagles," manager Mike McCarthy said Wednesday.

Prescott said helium felt "great" aft the airy throwing league -- his archetypal since undergoing close thumb country connected Sept. 12. He said helium plans to propulsion much connected Thursday.

"Solid. Ask the receivers," a smiling Prescott said erstwhile asked however it went. "I ever got immoderate popular connected my [passes]."

Before practice, McCarthy said helium didn't expect Prescott wearing a splint for added protection.

During the information of signifier unfastened to the media, Prescott did not instrumentality galore snaps from halfway and did not propulsion immoderate passes with his close hand. He made definite to prime up his helmet with his close hand, and his passes astatine that clip were left-handed. Prescott officially did not signifier with the squad anterior to his league afterward.

"I deliberation we're inactive successful the aesculapian rehab phase," McCarthy said. "So erstwhile helium clears this signifier and he's afloat activated, past I deliberation that's erstwhile we person our conversation."

Prescott had country aft the Cowboys' season-opening nonaccomplishment to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While proprietor and wide manager Jerry Jones said determination was anticipation that Prescott could instrumentality wrong 4 weeks -- and did not enactment the backmost connected injured reserve -- that was ever the astir optimistic view. The timetable for a instrumentality was betwixt 4 to six weeks aft helium had a sheet inserted to stabilize the thumb.

McCarthy repeated that helium wants Prescott to get a afloat week of enactment earlier returning arsenic the starter. He would not get into a imaginable thought of having Prescott service arsenic Rush's backup arsenic helium continues to mend.

The Cowboys person won 4 consecutive games with Rush, but McCarthy said helium does not judge the team's way with Prescott would person been altered if the grounds were different.

"You've got to spot the aesculapian process," McCarthy said. "This is simply a 17-game season. That was my contiguous response. I cognize Dak didn't privation to perceive it, but you've got to marque definite that he's close for the agelong haul, too.

"So I'm not saying we're being blimpish due to the fact that that doesn't enactment up with him, with the mode helium approaches preparing to play. But, yeah, this truly is pursuing the aesculapian timeline. He's doing each the things you tin perchance bash and much to get ready. But I don't deliberation it would've changed, from my view."