“Cowboys place Dak Prescott on IR, schedule uncertain,” says EVP Stephen Jones

By Jon Machota, Saad Yousuf and Jelani Scott

The Dallas Cowboys plan to place quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve because of his hamstring injury, the team’s executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday. The Cowboys were already preparing to be without Prescott in the near future, and once he is officially placed on IR, he will be out for at least four weeks.

“Right now, no one knows if it’s going to be four weeks, six weeks or the season,” Jones said during his Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan. “We’ll just have to continue to monitor this and see where it takes us.”

The news comes just days after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones deemed the 31-year-old Prescott likely to be placed on IR for a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 9. Prescott left at the end of the third quarter of the Cowboys’ 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and did not return. He later told reporters that the injury was “something I’ve never felt before” and that he felt “a bit of pulling” in his hamstring. Backup QB Cooper Rush will start Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before the loss to Atlanta, Prescott completed 18 of 24 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown while adding 30 rushing yards on three carries. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 1,978 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

Prescott’s future prospects are bleak

Prescott was in the weight room at The Star on Thursday while the team practiced. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on The Fan Friday morning that Prescott “doesn’t want surgery.”

Jones added: “He wants to be on the field and do his best. We’ll just see how things go here.”

This would be a bigger deal if the Cowboys had played better this season. They have already lost five games and their next four are against the Eagles, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders and New York Giants. There is a very good chance that they will finish 1st-3rd in this phase. If that’s the case, there’s really no reason to push back on Prescott. He will miss at least the next four games and possibly more.

There’s a good chance Dallas will finish out this season with Rush and Trey Lance taking over the quarterback duties. The season still appears to be headed toward the Cowboys being ranked in the top 10 in April. — Jon Machota, Cowboys staff writer

The Cowboys can’t rush the QB’s return

Because the injury is more serious than initially expected, the Cowboys will have to tread very carefully with Prescott in this situation. Hypothetically, even if the Cowboys could get through this stretch without Prescott, assuming it’s only four weeks, that probably means a 2-2 record. Things will likely get worse, and it’s also possible that Prescott’s injury will last longer than the minimum four weeks.

Even if the Cowboys are miraculously in the hunt for the playoffs when Prescott is ready to return, it’s important for this team that the Cowboys are honest with themselves. This was a 3-5 team with Prescott under center, and the record doesn’t deceive; They are truly an underperforming team that doesn’t have much of a playoff series coming up this season. Additionally, the Cowboys gave Prescott the richest contract in NFL history in September. Prescott is not just the present; He is also the future of the Cowboys and their greatest investment. They need to protect him and ensure he continues to be at his best for years to come. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys staff member

Required reading