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 seemingly innocuous hamstring injury.
As it turns out, the injury turned out to be worse than the Dallas Cowboys could have feared. What are the latest updates on Prescott’s hamstring injury?
What Is Dak Prescott’s Injury?
Prescott entered the medical tent along the Cowboys’ sideline at the start of the fourth quarter vs. the Atlanta Falcons. Dallas subsequently announced that he was questionable to return with a hamstring injury, but Prescott never re-entered.
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,” he 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.”
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Further reporting specified that Prescott’s injury is actually an avulsion, meaning that the hamstring has torn off the bone.
Explains the Dak Prescott hamstring avulsion injury #Dallascowboys #CowboysNation #PHIvsDAL pic.twitter.com/1l0DsBa3Z3
— Dallas Cowboys Collaboration (@mailman_phil) November 10, 2024
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, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting 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.”
Prescott did end up undergoing the surgery before Week 11. Former ESPN reporter Ed Werder estimated that his recovery would be roughly three months.
Dak Prescott confirmed he will be in NY tomorrow for a final medical evaluation of his partial right hamstring avulsion. If this specialist recommends surgery, Prescott will have it Wednesday in NY.
He said full recovery with surgery is approximately 3 months. pic.twitter.com/tJUEKlnR44— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) November 11, 2024
On the Monday after Week 11, the Cowboys finally put Prescott on injured reserve, formally ending his 2024 campaign.
The good news is that this timeline would have Prescott fully healthy for offseason workouts, putting him on track to fully prepare for the 2025 season. Given that Dallas’ playoff hopes have been extinguished, turning the page to next season was always going to be the most prudent path for Prescott.
How Will Prescott’s Absence Impact the Cowboys?
The Cowboys did have a stint of success when Prescott injured his hand back in 2022. He 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 won’t be coming back, which 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 the matchup against Atlanta, Rush completed 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.
However, in the Cowboys’ recent 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10, both Rush and Trey Lance saw action, and it was not good.
Rush started the game in Prescott’s absence, completing 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. Lance’s limited playtime showcased ongoing challenges in adapting to Dallas’ offensive system.
Following the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Rush would remain the starting quarterback for the upcoming game against the Houston Texans, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the team. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the QB room right now is not in the best position to win with just Rush and Lance.