The Dallas Cowboys are out of the playoffs this season, but they already have some good news for next season.

The Dallas Cowboys‘ hopes and dreams of making it to the playoffs this season fizzed out on Sunday, December 22, when the Washington Commanders upset the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s the first time since 2020 that the Cowboys won’t be in the playoffs. But, all is not lost, because there’s some good news on the horizon for the Cowboys.

While this season may be a wash, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has a positive indicator for the future.

During Sunday Night Football on December 22, the Cowboys played a strong game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and pulled off a win, with a 26-24 victory. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush led the team to the win, but it’ll also be nice when Prescott is back.

During the NBC broadcast of the game, the commentators gave an update on Prescott and how he’s doing with his season-ending injury. The camera moved to Prescott while Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth talked about the time the quarterback has missed this season. Then, they chatted with sideline reporter Melissa Stark, who discussed what she and Prescott talked about ahead of the game.

Stark said that Prescott said he recently got off of his crutches and will start running in about a month. She also said that Prescott said he would be primed for offseason workouts.

Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, “NBC’s Melissa Stark said Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) told her he got off crutches last week. He’s about a month away from starting to run. Prescott is adamant that he will be fully ready for offseason workouts in April.”

Tommy Yarrish, who covers the Dallas Cowboys for the team’s official website, also shared a video on X of Prescott walking without crutches and noted, “Here’s a good sign: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walking under his own power on the sideline #DallasCowboys.”

It’s a good sign that Prescott is continuing his narrative that he feels he’ll be ready to go during the offseason.

Even when Prescott isn’t on the field with his teammates, he works to keep them motivated from the sidelines.

“For me, it’s about knowing my teammates more than just their numbers and knowing their family,” he said during an interview with Anne Erickson for Heavy Sports, which was in conjunction with Prescott’s holiday charity campaign with Dick’s Sporting Goods. “Knowing what motivates them and why they’re inspired really more than motivated.”

He added, “So for me, being from the sidelines, able to just spark those conversations. Maybe say their kid’s name. Maybe, ‘Hey. Let’s go get this money.’ Whatever it is that I know motivates or inspires that guy to be better.”

Prescot also said that, “This is when everything that I preach about the camaraderie or the culture of the brotherhood that we have or the leadership that I’ve invested long before now really comes into play with my teammates. The fact of knowing them more than their numbers and being able to get in with them off the field to lock them in on the field.”