Frank Reich on Dak Prescott: ‘Always followed his career closely’

Panthers coach Frank Reich can be paying shut consideration to Dak Prescott when Carolina performs the Cowboys on Sunday.

However then once more, Reich has had his eye on Prescott from the second that the previous Mississippi State quarterback was getting ready to enter the NFL.

Reich revealed final week that within the weeks main as much as the 2016 NFL draft, when he was the Eagles‘ offensive coordinator, he had what he believed was a a lot larger grade on Prescott than most individuals across the league. Reich mentioned he thought Prescott was simply one of many high quarterbacks within the 2016 draft class.

The Eagles traded up in that draft to acquire the second general decide, which they used on quarterback Carson Wentz. Though Reich and the Eagles clearly favored Wentz as their franchise quarterback on the time — given the draft capital they surrendered to commerce as much as No. 2, they seen Prescott as a probably robust backup plan getting into the draft that yr.

Ever since Reich missed out on the chance to work with Prescott, he mentioned he has gone out of his solution to intently monitor the star quarterback as a result of he felt emotionally invested in him.

None of Prescott’s success — from successful Dallas’ beginning quarterback job as a rookie fourth-round decide to touchdown a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2021 to having the Cowboys be a Tremendous Bowl contender — has shocked Reich.

“I had an actual excessive grade on Dak popping out,” Reich mentioned final week. “I used to be on a staff that was on the lookout for a quarterback that yr Dak got here out. I had a really excessive grade on Dak Prescott — loads larger than different folks. I’ve all the time adopted his profession intently and have numerous respect for him, and I believe he is enjoying actually good soccer proper now.”

On Sunday, Reich will get an up-close take a look at Prescott, who in latest weeks has been unleashed. Prescott’s passing yardage totals have elevated every week relationship to Week 6, when he threw for 272 yards towards the Chargers. He returned from the Cowboys’ Week 7 bye to move for 304 towards the Rams in Week 8, then handed for 374 yards in Dallas’ Week 9 loss to the Eagles earlier than setting his season excessive with 404 yards towards the Giants final Sunday.

Prescott has 10 profession 400-yard passing video games; all different Cowboys quarterbacks have mixed for 9.

In one more irony associated to drafting quarterbacks, if Reich had gotten his method with the Eagles, Prescott may have been Philadelphia’s quarterback — and Jalen Hurts presumably may have been chosen three years in the past by Dallas. Cowboys proprietor and normal supervisor Jerry Jones implied earlier this season that Dallas needed to draft Hurts if he had fallen within the 2020 draft, however the Eagles drafted Hurts within the second spherical, earlier than Dallas had a possibility to pick out the sign caller who the Jones household admired.

“We checked out him actually onerous,” Cowboys COO Stephen Jones informed 105.3 The Fan final season. “Clearly our man is Dak, however on the identical time, Mike [McCarthy] is a giant proponent of continuous to have a look at quarterback.”