Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (calf) out vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Cowboys have decided to err on the side of caution.

Quarterback Dak Prescott will not start Sunday night against the Vikings, instead taking another week to rest his strained right calf muscle.

Backup Cooper Rush, who took the first-team reps in practice Wednesday and Thursday, will start in Prescott’s place. Preseason aside, Rush has never started an NFL game. He has thrown three career passes that counted, with a 2-yard completion to his name.

The Cowboys made the decision after Prescott tested his calf a final time ahead of the Sunday night matchup.

Officially, Prescott was listed as questionable for the Halloween game at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Oct. 17, he strained his right calf on the final play before the bye week when tossing a 35-yard touchdown to CeeDee Lamb in overtime vs. the New England Patriots. The strain is located in the right leg, where Prescott suffered an open ankle fracture and dislocation on Oct. 11, 2020. The Cowboys went 4-7 in Prescott’s absence last season.

After he pushed his body at a greater intensity in Thursday’s padded practice, coach Mike McCarthy said that Prescott reported soreness Friday.

Prescott said Thursday that if this were a playoff game, he “100% no question” would play, but he said he understood there are bigger goals in play.

”If it was my call and it was totally up to me, yes,” Prescott said. “But this is something I agree with the experts. I don’t want it to linger. I don’t want this to be week after week, are we going through this?”

Dallas enters Week 8 with a commanding NFC East lead. The club is 5-1, having rattled off five straight wins before its bye. By comparison, the Washington Football Team, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are all 2-5.

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