Dak Prescott will be returning back home for the Dallas Cowboys in Monday’s home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time after a devastating ankle injury that happened last year.

The star Dallas quarterback said he did not need the long-anticipated return to his home field to consider himself completely recovered, the Associated Press reported.

Prescott has not played at home for 50 weeks and will return in front of a packed 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium and he prefers to focus on that fact.

“Knowing that when I run out there, once again whether it’s pregame or if it’s in a moment within the game, to see up there and with COVID and knowing what we all went through last year, to have them all back, it will be exciting,” Prescott said.

“I’ll take that moment, I’ll be thankful for it, but then flip my mind right back again to the Eagles defense and what I have to do to win the game,” the quarterback added.

The Cowboys had lost their first four games without Prescott last season. The team eventually missed out on the postseason at 6-10.

Prescott was phenomenal in his first game back, throwing for 403 yards and three touchdowns while the Cowboys went ahead late before losing to Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and seven-time champ Tom Brady 31-29 on a field goal in the final seconds.

The 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year’s numbers were much more modest in Week 2 (237 yards, no touchdowns), but he led a drive that consumed the final 3:54 and ended with Greg Zuerlein’s 56-yard field goal for a 20-17 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.

“It’s important anytime Dak is out there,” said coach Mike McCarthy, whose first year in Dallas was marred by Prescott’s injury, among others. “He’s the face of our football team. Just from the offensive perspective, we’re different on offense when he’s in charge.”

Asked if he thought playing on the home field for the first time since the injury was out of sight, out of mind for Prescott, Schultz said, “Oh yeah, 1,000%. Don’t even ask him about it.”

Four-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, who missed six games last year battling a calf issue, hadn’t even thought to ask, perhaps another illustration of how Prescott is looking at this game simply as the next one, and not the first home one since he got hurt.

“I didn’t even think about that,” Martin said. “Again, with Dak, the most important game is the next game. I would imagine he’s treating it like any other game. It’s going to be rocking Monday night. We’re looking forward to that.”

(With AP inputs)