The Dak Prescott surgery scenario will commence. Although rumors about a potential late-season return emerged, Prescott’s hamstring injury will ultimately 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) his quarterback will undergo surgery in New York. The operation will take place Wednesday.
Considering the Cowboys’ trajectory and the nature of Prescott’s injury, it is not too surprising this is how his season will end. The Cowboys will stick with Cooper Rush in the immediate aftermath of a blowout loss to the Eagles, though veteran Cowboys reporter Newy Scruggs adds the team is bringing in Will Grier to join its practice squad. The Eagles released Grier from their P-squad last week.
Prescott, 31, is believed to have suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon. Reminding somewhat of the injury that cost Tyron Smith most of his 2022 season, Prescott’s malady prompted visits with multiple doctors — including one in New York. That meeting will provide the impetus for the ninth-year QB to wrap his season. This will go down as a wildly successful Prescott year on the contract front but a poor one in terms of performance.
Signing a four-year, $240MM extension — one that raised the QB market by a staggering $5MM in terms of AAV — Prescott ranked 25th in QBR when he went down during the Cowboys’ Week 9 game against the Falcons. A scramble produced the hamstring malady, and Prescott winced as he attempted a subsequent pass. The Cowboys certainly needed Prescott to salvage what looks like a lost season. With Rush at the controls in front of Trey Lance, Dallas is likely barreling toward a regime chance due to Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck status.
The 2020s have brought extreme vacillations for Prescott, who has nevertheless signed two player-friendly extensions during the decade. A fractured ankle — an injury that has affected the QB in the years since — shut down Dallas’ starter in 2020, while he then powered the team to a No. 1 offensive ranking during a 12-5 2021 season. While the Cowboys repeated their 12-5 record in 2022, Prescott led the NFL in INTs (15) upon returning from an early-season thumb injury. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year bounced back last year, earning second-team All-Pro status, before another regression defined his 2024 showing.
When Prescott went down in 2020, the Cowboys sank to 6-10. This preceded a 7-9 Washington team winning the NFC East. The Cowboys and Eagles yo-yoed in the division over the next three seasons, but McCarthy is almost certainly on his way out after this one. Dallas now sits 3-6 and will play 10 games without its starting QB this season. Jones endured steady criticism for his roster construction this year, as his Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions came as the owner operated passively at other positions. McCarthy’s successor will likely have a top-10 pick to use in April as a result.
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 former third-round pick rejoined Kellen Moore with the Chargers to close last season, following Bengals and Patriots stints, and caught on with the ex-Dallas OC in Philly this offseason. Grier will round out Dallas’ QB room, which remains fronted by Rush, who has been Prescott’s backup for most of the former fourth-round find’s career.
It would stand to reason Lance would receive extended time moving forward, given the Cowboys’ situation, but McCarthy confirmed Rush will see at least one more start. Lance’s rookie contract expires at season’s end, while Rush’s two-year, $4MM deal wraps after this campaign as well.
Thanks to the mammoth re-up he inked in September, Prescott is tied to to the Cowboys through the 2028 slate. The latest Prescott deal featuring no-tag and no-trade clauses, the contract will need to be adjusted in 2025, as it carries an untenable $89.9MM cap number.
But the good news is they now have Jonathan Mingo
Phew! They should be ok now!
I needed that. Thank you kind stranger.
Aye lad!
From Google: Jerry Jones took issue with overemphasizing Dak’s absence in the Cowboys’ 34-6 loss tonight. “I don’t want to be sarcastic, but do you got the same arithmetic I’ve got? We’ve won 3 games with Dak.’
Pay the man top dollar, and then say he’s terrible? That is an interesting stance by Jerry.
Maybe Jerry should talk to the GM.
Backed up the Brinks truck but he didn’t play like 1 of best QBs in league before goin down w/injury. Dallas is snakebitten. Start Lance n play for high draft pick. Can still develop other young talent on team n find out who wants to be a cowboy nxt yr.
Dallas is Jerry Jones bitten.
Was he really ever in for the season the way things have gone?
Dak has to have the procedure in New York cos there ain’t enough qualified surgeons in Dallas who can repair his hamstring.
Garbage QB on a garbage team, Jerry and Dak deserve each other.
COWBOYS SUCK
Is there any possible way to void his contract entirely? I know NFL contracts aren’t 100% promised if I was Dallas I would just get rid of him and start fresh. Would even be willing to eat some money to do so.
Nope. It was nearly fully guaranteed.
Why would anyone full guarantee a contract? There has to be some way to void it. Jerry needs to get creative.
You guarantee it because you want to sign the player.
Check it out here: link to overthecap.com at Overthecap.com.
Thanks for the OTC link Rich. There’s almost no way for the Cowboys forward without suffering through at least two more years of Prescott. Dak is back for 2026, could be released before the 2027 season for a $33 million cap hit and $28 million in savings.
An immediate release would trigger a $150 million cap hit. For billionaires these NFL owners don’t seem to be very good negotiators. Why would Jones sign such a contract?
Jerry is going to have to reach out to Mickey Loomis to find out how to kick the can down the road to avoid Dak being a $90M cap charge for 2025.
It seems to be apparent to everyone but Jerry that the team needs an actual football GM.
Dak took 2 Team friendly deals? Lol. Thanks I needed a good laugh this morning.
So for 2024,
“DAK’S ALL FOLKS !!”
That’s one way to tank. However, too bad they can’t go back in time and not offer him a contract. @Jack. LoL
They should’ve traded him while they had the chance. He’s a pretty good QB, but not great, but cost maybe 25% of your total payroll?