The Dallas Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving Day game provides camera time for many familiar faces. Dak Prescott, however, will be shown watching the game instead of playing in it.
What happened to Prescott, and why is he on the sidelines for the Thanksgiving Day contest against the New York Giants?
What Happened to Dak Prescott?
The Cowboys traveled to Atlanta in Week 9 for a bout against Kirk Cousins and the Falcons. They came out on the wrong end of a 27-21 decision. Unfortunately, the game wasn’t the only thing they lost.
Quarterback Dak Prescott left the game due to an injured hamstring.
“Yeah, we gotta get it looked at,” Prescott said after the game. “Felt it on the little scramble to the left. Felt it, didn’t think much. Then on the next play, throwing the stop route to the field, pulled something, I felt something I never felt. It was tough to walk on it at that point.”
It was later determined the injury was severe enough to require surgery.
How Long Will Dak Prescott Be Out Due to Injury?
Prescott’s hamstring injury was not a standard strain which is typically healed with rest and minor rehab over 2-3 weeks. Instead, Prescott was diagnosed with a partial tendon avulsion, meaning the hamstring pulled partway off the bone.
Due to the severity of the injury, the expected lengthy timeline for recovery and the Cowboys’ fledgling season, Prescott and the team decided that surgery was the proper course of action. Prescott underwent surgery on Wednesday, Nov. 13 in New York, according to the Cowboys’ official website.
The Cowboys placed Prescott on injured reserve ahead of the team’s Week 11 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, ending his season. It’s the second time in three seasons Prescott has missed significant time with an injury, and it’s the second time in his career an injury has ended his season prematurely.
Prescott is expected to make a full recovery and suit up for Dallas at the start of the 2025 season.
Who Plays Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys?
With Prescott unavailable for the rest of the season, Dallas has turned to Cooper Rush to manage the offense. Dallas lost in Week 10 and Week 11 with Rush as the starter, but they upset the Washington Commanders in Week 12 behind a 247-yard, two-touchdown outing from Rush.
Rush also took over as the starter early in 2022 when Prescott fractured the thumb on his throwing hand. The Cowboys went 4-1 that season with Rush as the starter. For his career, Rush has played in 33 games with nine starts. He is 6-3 in those nine starts.
Other quarterbacks on the Cowboys roster include former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance and six-year veteran Will Grier, who is on the practice squad.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft but then traded him to Dallas in 2023 in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick.