Dallas Cowboys fans were taken aback Wednesday morning when head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced that quarterback Dak Prescott would be limited in practice with a hip injury.
Prescott was dinged up in the 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, but he only took one sack in the winning effort. The shorter week may have something to do with the soreness, but Schottenheimer confirmed that this wasn’t a significant injury.
Any Dak Prescott Absence Would Have an Immediate Impact
While this doesn’t appear to be a major development, fans can’t help but feel weary with news of the new injury, with a crucial game against the Philadelphia Eagles coming up.
The Eagles field an impressive defense (80.8 Defensive Impact grade) that’ll require the Cowboys’ offense to fire on all cylinders to overcome. Dallas has a crucial stretch of games that’ll determine whether it can make a postseason push in 2025.
Should Prescott, who has a No. 6 ranking and 83.9 (B) grade in PFSN’s QBi Ratings, miss any time, Dallas will be in a precarious position. They invested in quarterback Joe Milton by obtaining him via trade from New England this past offseason.
Milton has immensely impressive physical attributes and has shone in his limited action early in his career. However, the fact that he has just 38 regular-season pass attempts across three games thus far in his career makes him a highly inexperienced emergency option.
The Cowboys have built their offense up well and have seen some success without Prescott. Last season, backup Cooper Rush went 4-4 in relief of their starter, which included an upset win over the Washington Commanders.
How Did Fans React to Prescott Being Limited?
Some Dak supporters were unfazed by the news. One fan wrote, “Who’s ready for the hip game?”
The Cowboys subreddit showed little worry either, with one comment reading, “He would have to be sent to the sun before not playing against the Eagles.”
It was the Eagles fans who had a little more fun with it, as one user would say, “Dak Prescott is dealing with a hip injury. Nothing major coach says. Excuses already?”
Sunday Expectations
Prescott was upgraded during Thursday’s practice, so head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s words of caution appear to be true. As many expected, this shouldn’t have much impact on the crucial rivalry match up.
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Obviously, the preference will be to keep Prescott as healthy as possible. The Cowboys are currently third in PFSN’s Offensive Impact grade (87.8), a stark uptick from last year (70.2). Rush maintained some relevance during last year’s starting tenure, but the ceiling of this unit lies with Prescott’s success.
That elite grade will be put to the test against the Eagles, as they seek back-to-back division titles while the Cowboys’ season hangs in the balance. We should see early on if there are truly any limitations to Prescott’s hip, or if it was truly just some lingering soreness.
