FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys will open their season against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday as football finally regrabs the headlines after the long-running Micah Parsons contract saga has come to an end.

You will be hard-pressed to find a more daunting way to open the season, playing the defending Super Bowl champions in their building after they unveil their championship banner as part of all of their pre-game festivities.

It will be a heavyweight prize fight that the Cowboys and Dak Prescott are walking into.

But Prescott is ready to lace up the gloves in the match against Philly coordinator Vic Fangio and his defense.

“The most important part is they’re good, they’re sound, they don’t do a lot, so you’ve got to be disciplined,” Prescott said. “You’ve got to be fundamental. You’ve got to be as a quarterback, great with your eyes, understanding when to move people, how to move people.”

Oh, and one more thing …

“We’ve just got to come out,’’ Dak said, “and throw the first punch.’’

Dallas, coming off a 7-10 season, will do so without its best defensive player in Parsons, who was shipped to Green Bay last week after contract extension talks with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones turned sour and then acrimonious.

Prescott commented on the controversial trade that netted Dallas two first-round picks and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, saying: “It seemed like it got personal… If nothing had been done, we’d sit here and y’all still would’ve been asking me whether he was playing in a couple days or when he was going to be playing. That would’ve been a lot more of a headache and distraction than getting a solution to it.”

So forward the Cowboys go, with a vow of focus… which will come in quite handy on Thursday night in the NFL opener at Philadelphia.

Prescott, now 32 and entering his 10th NFL season, didn’t face the Eagles last season after tearing part of his hamstring off the bone against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, but he’ll get his shot in Week 1.

The last time Prescott was at Lincoln Financial Field was a 28-23 defeat registered as a heartbreaking outcome for the Cowboys, as “America’s Team” (and its QB) did more than enough to win the game.

Prescott was 29 of 44 for 374 yards and three touchdowns in that outing. Against the Eagles, he is 9-4 in his career.

“We added a great player, got some picks for the future,” Prescott said on the blockbuster trade and the future. “I’m not going to say we’re better; we’ve got to go out there and prove it.’’

And that might start with a very first thrown punch.