The Dak Prescott surgical procedure situation will start. Though rumors a couple of potential late-season return emerged, Prescott’s hamstring damage will finally shut him down.
A round of medical opinions will lead Prescott to the operating table, with Jerry Jones confirming during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) that his quarterback will bear surgical procedure in New York on Wednesday.
Contemplating the Cowboys’ trajectory and the character of Prescott’s damage, it isn’t too stunning that is how his season will finish. The Cowboys will follow Cooper Rush within the quick aftermath of a blowout loss to the Eagles, although veteran Cowboys reporter Newy Scruggs adds the staff is bringing in Will Grier to hitch its follow squad. The Eagles launched Grier from their P-squad final week.
Prescott, 31, is believed to have suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon. Reminding considerably of the damage that price Tyron Smith most of his 2022 season, Prescott’s illness prompted visits with a number of medical doctors — including one in New York. That assembly will present the impetus for the ninth-year QB to wrap up his season. It will go down as a wildly profitable Prescott yr on the contract entrance however a poor efficiency.
Prescott signed a four-year, $240M extension that raised the QB market by a staggering $5M in terms of AAV — Prescott ranked twenty fifth in QBR when he went down through the Cowboys’ Week 9 sport towards the Falcons. A scramble produced the hamstring illness, and Prescott winced as he tried a subsequent go. The Cowboys definitely wanted Prescott to salvage what appears to be like like a misplaced season. With Rush on the controls in entrance of Trey Lance, Dallas is probably going barreling towards a regime change resulting from Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck standing.
The 2020s have introduced excessive vacillations for Prescott, who has signed two player-friendly extensions through the decade. A fractured ankle — an damage that has affected the QB within the years since — shut down Dallas’ starter in 2020, whereas he then powered the staff to a No. 1 offensive rating throughout a 12-5 2021 season. Whereas the Cowboys repeated their 12-5 report in 2022, Prescott led the NFL in INTs (15) upon coming back from an early-season thumb damage. The previous Offensive Rookie of the 12 months bounced again final yr, incomes second-team All-Professional standing earlier than one other regression outlined his 2024 exhibiting.
When Prescott went down in 2020, the Cowboys sank to 6-10. This preceded a 7-9 Washington staff profitable the NFC East. The Cowboys and Eagles yo-yoed within the division over the subsequent three seasons, however McCarthy is sort of definitely on his approach out after this one. Dallas now sits 3-6 and can play 10 video games with out its beginning QB this season. Jones endured regular criticism for his roster development this yr, as his Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions got here because the owner-operated passively at different positions. Because of this, McCarthy’s successor will possible have a top-10 choose to make use of in April.
Grier spent nearly two years with the Cowboys, arriving as a waiver claim in 2021 and staying on until not being retained on the 2023 roster coming out of camp. The previous third-round choose rejoined Kellen Moore with the Chargers to shut final season, following Bengals and Patriots stints, and caught on with the ex-Dallas OC in Philly this offseason. Grier will spherical out Dallas’ QB room, which stays fronted by Rush, who has been Prescott’s backup for a lot of the former fourth-round discover’s profession.
Given the Cowboys ‘ scenario, it might stand to cause Lance would obtain prolonged time transferring ahead, however McCarthy confirmed Rush would see at least one more start. Lance’s rookie contract expires at season’s finish, whereas Rush’s two-year, $4M deal additionally wraps after this marketing campaign.
Due to the mammoth re-up he inked in September, Prescott is tied to the Cowboys by way of the 2028 slate. The most recent Prescott deal options no-tag and no-trade clauses. The contract will should be adjusted in 2025, because it carries an untenable $89.9M cap quantity.
