Dak Prescott has opted for surgery to repair his torn hamstring, effectively ending his season and dealing a significant blow to the Dallas Cowboys’ already dwindling playoff hopes.
Speaking on his radio show Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Prescott would undergo surgery Wednesday in New York. “His prognosis is wonderful,” Jones said, though he acknowledged that the quarterback would not be available for the rest of the year.
The decision comes just over a week after Prescott suffered the injury in a 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He was absent for the Cowboys’ fourth straight loss, a 34-6 defeat at home to Philadelphia on Sunday.
With a 3-6 record, Dallas had already prepared for Prescott’s absence, knowing he would miss at least a month due to the injury. The decision to have surgery was finalized after Prescott visited an additional specialist for a second opinion. The recovery time for this type of injury is expected to be at least three months—about the same length of time former Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith was sidelined with a similar issue during training camp two years ago.
Prescott’s hamstring injury is a partial avulsion, meaning the muscle tore partially off the bone, which is less severe than a complete tear. While surgery is not always required for such an injury, it was determined to be necessary in this case.
This marks the second time in five years that the 31-year-old Prescott will miss a significant portion of the season due to injury. In 2020, he broke his ankle in Week 5, causing him to miss the remainder of the season as the Cowboys finished with a 6-10 record.
Dak Prescott
With the Cowboys now facing the possibility of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020, they’ll need to rely on backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who struggled mightily in Prescott’s absence, throwing for just 45 yards in the loss to Philadelphia. Rush and Trey Lance, who also played in relief, combined for a total of just 66 passing yards, the fewest for a Cowboys quarterback in a game since 2001.
Rush will again start for the Cowboys when they face the Houston Texans on Monday night. To further bolster their quarterback depth, the Cowboys signed Will Grier to their practice squad. Grier, who spent 2021-2022 with Dallas, will provide an additional option as the team navigates this challenging stretch without their franchise quarterback.
