FRISCO, Texas – Two preseason games remain. The evaluations continue.
But Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones has been impressed enough with Dak Prescott in preseason that, "from what we see now," the Cowboys "unquestionably" have slowed their search for a possible veteran backup quarterback addition.
The biggest reason besides Prescott's near-perfect statistical start to preseason, Jones says, is the valuable number of reps the fourth-round pick gets when starter Tony Romo isn't on the field.
"In the preseason you're trying to get some reps for the veteran quarterback – in our case, Romo – but then let's say that there's another veteran in the mix somewhere. Well then, he's got to get some snaps, too," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan.
Since previous No. 2 quarterback Kellen Moore fractured his fibula on Aug. 2, Prescott has run the second-team offense and started the Aug. 13 preseason opener while Romo took the night off.
In two preseason appearances, Prescott has thrown only five completions (22-of-27) with 6 touchdowns (4 passing, 2 running) and no interceptions.
With two preseason games left – Thursday's game at Seattle and next Thursday's finale at AT&T Stadium against the Texans – Prescott gets more chances to show the Cowboys what he can do as a backup candidate.
"And get this one: he may get as many snaps during this preseason – experience, evaluation, all of those kinds of things – as Romo got in his entire career before he became a starter. And you can't buy that," Jones said. "You can say well, look at his college tape. But look, we all know that position also has a history of being really hard to judge coming out of college, even with top picks. And so the snaps that he gets in his case under center rather than back in the shotgun position, so to speak – all of that is just enormously valuable to the team."
