Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury during the Dallas Cowboys’ 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 and is now set to miss multiple weeks. During his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Prescott will likely be placed on injured reserve.
With Prescott set to miss at least the next four games, rumors began circulating that the Cowboys quarterback has quit on his team. However, former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and current Fox Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho defended Prescott and blamed Jones for the situation.
Emmanuel Acho Defends Dak Prescott
The notion that Prescott quit on the Cowboys after a 3-5 start to the season was started by Fox Sports analyst James Jones on “The Facility.” He mentioned that hamstring injuries do not limit quarterbacks much, and Prescott could have played.
“Dak quit on his team.”@89JonesNTAF reacts to Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury putting him on IR pic.twitter.com/4xUMmnbkka
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) November 5, 2024
After Jones’ comment went viral, his co-host Acho came to the defense of the Cowboys’ quarterback.
“I think it’s unfair to say he quit because we don’t know the extent of the injury, but I do believe Jerry Jones did Dak Prescott a disservice by saying, ‘Hey, he’s likely going on IR,'” said Acho on The Facility.
“Like Jerry, give Dak Prescott the opportunity to rehab… like give him the opportunity to at least fight to return before you say he’s likely going on IR.
“Dak Prescott has not himself said he’s going on IR, Jerry Jones did that. Jerry is the one who’s put Dak Prescott in the predicament. I can’t say Dak quit because I don’t know the extent of the injury, but Jerry’s made it look worse.”
The Cowboys drafted Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been a reliable player for them and has missed time only in two seasons. An ankle injury in 2020 limited Prescott to just five games, while a fractured thumb caused him to miss time in the 2022 NFL season.
Nobody knows how serious Prescott’s injury is, but since the Cowboys are quite unlikely to make the playoffs, it’s not ideal for the team to risk his long-term health by forcing him to play.
In eight games this season, Prescott has thrown for 1,978 yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, completing 64.7% of his throws and had a passer rating of 86.0.
Cowboys Set To Face Eagles With New QB
The Cowboys will play the Eagles in Week 10 with Cooper Rush as the starting quarterback. The 30-year-old is arguably the best backup QB in the league and has proven reliable in the past.
Rush is 5-1 as the Cowboys’ starter and kept the team afloat when Prescott fractured his thumb in 2022. He’s played one game against the Eagles in his career, in which he threw for 181 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, completing just 47.3% of his throws.
With a lengthy absence coming for Prescott, it’s also possible that Trey Lance will play some games for Dallas.
Philadelphia is 6-2 on the season and has won its last four games. The Eagles are 4-6 in their last 10 games against the Cowboys, but on Sunday, they are favored to win by seven points.