Alarming Dak Prescott injury update all but confirms Cowboys' season is over

The Dallas Cowboys have been working around the clock to figure out exactly what is wrong with Dak Prescott's hamstring. Team owner Jerry Jones said Prescott will likely go on injured reserve, but Wednesday arrived and Prescott remained on the active roster.

There was a reason for that.

Prescott suffered a partial avulsion of his right hamstring tendon, according to NFL Network's Jane Slater. That means Prescott's tendon is partially torn off the bone. Prescott is seeking a second opinion before the Cowboys make a decision on whether to put him on IR.

That feels like a guarantee now, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reported late Wednesday that the team is trying to determine if Prescott needs surgery. If the 31-year-old has to go under the knife, his season would be over.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott may require season-ending surgery on hamstring injury

"The initial diagnosis has Prescott missing multiple weeks, but the quarterback is getting additional opinions to determine the severity of the hamstring tear," Moore writes (subscription required).

Former Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a full avulsion of his hamstring during the team's 2022 during training camp. It required surgery and knocked Smith out for multiple months, though he was able to return for the final four games of the regular season and playoffs.

Smith's first game back wasn't until mid-December. It's unclear if Prescott would undergo the same operation, but that it took Smith four months to get back on the field suggests Prescott would face a similar recovery.

This might take a couple of days to sort itself out, but Prescott going on injured reserve feels inevitable now.

If there was any hope that backup Cooper Rush could keep the Cowboys afloat and hand the keys back to Prescott with the season salvageable, this news should put an end to that discourse. This team is 3-5, still missing several important pieces due to injury and can't get out of its own way.

While Rush is 5-1 in his career as a starter, the current iteration of Dallas pales in comparison to those teams. The Cowboys' defense played out of its mind while Rush filled in for Prescott. In five starts in 2022, Rush completed 58% of his passes, threw five touchdowns, and averaged less than 120 passing yards per game with a 6.5 yards per attempt to boot.

Rush is one of the most reliable backups in the NFL, but Prescott not being able to overcome the many flaws within Dallas' offense is a strong indicator of how the group is going to look Sunday against the Eagles and beyond.

Prescott possibly needing surgery is a fitting (unofficial) end to the Cowboys' season. He might as well get it right and come back healthy for 2025.

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