Over the course of his nine-year NFL career, Dak Prescott has had multiple lengthy injuries. During Week 9, he pulled up lame with a hamstring injury, the Cowboys hoped it wasn’t another one of those. As it turns out, the Cowboys’ worst fears were realized. What is the latest update on Prescott’s hamstring injury?
What Is Dak Prescott’s Injury?
Dak Prescott entered the medical tent along the Cowboys’ sideline at the start of the fourth quarter. Dallas subsequently announced that he was questionable to return with a hamstring injury, but Prescott never re-entered the Week 9 game.
Prescott underwent an MRI on his hamstring, and the news was not positive. After the Falcons game, Prescott said he thought he hurt his hamstring on a third-quarter scramble attempt.
“Yeah, we gotta get it looked at,” Prescott said. “Felt it on the little scramble to the left. Felt it didn’t think much. Then on the next play, throwing that the stop route to the field, pulled something, I felt something I never felt. It was tough to walk on it at that point.”
“I saw the medical team and asked, ‘Could I make it worse?’ At that point, they said I wouldn’t be able to protect myself and made the call to hold me out.”
#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday on his injured hamstring and is out for the season, owner Jerry Jones told @1053thefan.
It’s Cooper Rush — and maybe Trey Lance — the rest of the way for Dallas, while Dak rehabs for a 2025 return. pic.twitter.com/IrNgtZXT6c
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 12, 2024
However, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported after the Cowboys’ Week 10 game that Prescott would, in fact, have surgery and be out for the remainder of the season.
When Will Prescott Return From Injury?
Immediately after the Week 9 game, it was clear this was not a short-term thing. Initial reports were Prescott would miss at least 2-3 weeks, and that an IR stint was being considered.
Further tests revealed a more significant strain. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Prescott would look to get one final specialist’s opinion.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is planning to undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring, pending the opinion of one final specialist, sources told ESPN.
Prescott is flying to New York to meet with the specialist, but Cowboys doctors already believe he needs the… pic.twitter.com/r5Qy9gnYid— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 9, 2024
“Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is planning to undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring, pending the opinion of one final specialist, sources told ESPN. Prescott is flying to New York to meet with the specialist, but Cowboys doctors already believe he needs the surgery that would sideline him four months.”
How Will Prescott’s Absence Impact the Cowboys?
The Cowboys did have a stint of success when Prescott injured his hand back in 2022. Prescott missed five games and Cooper Rush went 4-1 during that span. The difference now, though, is there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Prescott will not be coming back. That means it’s Rush for the foreseeable future.
Prescott wasn’t having a spectacular season. His -0.09 EPA per play was a career-low mark, and he ranked only 25th in PFN’s QB+ metric (which blends a variety of situational EPA and success rate metrics).
Pro Football Network ranked Rush as the NFL’s 15th-best backup quarterback. After Prescott exited Sunday’s game against the Falcons with his hamstring injury, Rush completed 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.
However, in the Cowboys’ recent 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 10, 2024, backups quarterbacks Rush and Trey Lance both saw action, and it was not good.
Rush started the game in Prescott’s absence. He completed 18 of 38 passes for 181 yards, throwing one touchdown and three interceptions.
Lance entered the game in the fourth quarter. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards, was sacked twice, and threw one interception. His limited playtime showcased ongoing challenges in adapting to the Cowboys’ offensive system.
Following the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Cooper Rush would remain the starting quarterback for the upcoming game against the Houston Texans, expressing confidence in Rush’s ability to lead the team. But it is clear that the QB room right now is not in the best position to win with just Rush and Lance.