Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced on Tuesday that star quarterback Dak Prescott will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured hamstring. Prescott suffered the torn hamstring in the Cowboys’ Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. “His prognosis is wonderful,” Jones said. “It means missing him for the year.”
The decision to have surgery comes after Prescott visited a specialist in New York on Monday. Jones explained that the hamstring injury was a partial tear, known as a “partial avulsion,” where the hamstring pulled partially off the bone. While surgery isn’t always required in such cases, the Cowboys have decided it’s the best path forward for their franchise quarterback.
The recovery time for this type of surgery is typically around 3 months, meaning Prescott will likely miss the remainder of the 2023 season. This is a major blow to the Cowboys’ playoff hopes, as they now sit at 3-6 on the year and are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2020.
“It’s the second time in five years that the 31-year-old Prescott will miss more than half the season because of an injury,” the report notes. “He broke an ankle in Week 5 in 2020, when Dallas finished 6-10.”
With Prescott sidelined, the Cowboys will turn to backup Cooper Rush to lead their offense. Rush started in Prescott’s place against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday but struggled mightily, passing for just 45 yards.
“Rush and Trey Lance, who briefly replaced Rush in the third quarter and came on for a touchdown later, combined for 66 passing yards. This is the lowest amount of passing yards Dallas has had since only 34 in a 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay in 2001, according to the report.
Jones expressed confidence in Rush, saying, “Cooper has shown that he has the capability to compete and win in games. He does give us our best chance.”
However, if Rush fails to stabilize the team, the Cowboys might consider Lance, the former 3rd overall pick they acquired in a trade earlier this year. After this season, Lance will become a free agent, presenting the Cowboys with a significant decision regarding his future.
The loss of Prescott leaves the Cowboys with questions that extend beyond just the quarterback position. Head coach Mike McCarthy is also in the final year of his contract, and Jones acknowledged there is no “fairness” in evaluating him without his star QB.
“My criteria has always been how we’re playing,” Jones said. “Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we’re down? Those kinds of things.”
The Cowboys’ playoff hopes are fading fast, as they’ve now lost 4 straight games. They’ll need to turn things around quickly if they hope to make a postseason push, starting with a home game against the 6-4 Houston Texans on Monday night.
With Prescott out for the season, the Cowboys’ future is suddenly very uncertain. The franchise is facing critical decisions at both the quarterback and head coaching positions heading into the offseason. One thing is clear: the road ahead will be a challenging one for America’s team without their star signal-caller leading the way.