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Dak Prescott sustained another injury as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback exited the team’s season opener with an injured thumb. After the Cowboys’ loss to the Bucs, owner Jerry Jones revealed that Prescott will miss “several weeks” as the joint above his thumb will require surgery to repair. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Prescott is expected to miss six to eight weeks as he recovers from surgery.
“Dak will be out for a little while, so we’ll be dealing with that as well,” Jones told reporters on September 11. “So, this was a really tough night for the Cowboys and a really surprising night. But of course, really add to it right there at the end, to lose him for several weeks.
“We’ll see more about how many weeks that may be. …He has an injury above his joint in his thumb that needs surgery.”
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy noted that Prescott is dealing with a “significant hand injury.” Prescott’s throwing hand was hit by Buccaneers defender Shaq Barrett, and the quarterback quickly headed back to the locker room for further evaluation after briefly being treated on the sideline by the medical staff.
“Dak Prescott is expected to have surgery Monday on a right thumb injury and miss 6-8 weeks, according to multiple sources,” Archer said in a series of September 12 tweets. “He will meet with the team’s hand specialist on Monday, but sources said he will have a pin and plate inserted to stabilize the joint. He will likely be placed on injured reserve but will be eligible to return later in the year. If he follows the 6-8 week timeframe, he could return as soon as Oct. 30 vs. Chicago or Nov. 13 at Green Bay following the bye.”
Here is a look at the play where Prescott sustained the injury.
Rush Is Expected to Start in Prescott’s Absence
Cooper Rush is the Cowboys backup quarterback and is expected to lead the Dallas offense during Prescott’s absence. The Cowboys also have Will Grier on the team’s practice squad. Dallas previously released Rush and Grier but were able to re-sign both quarterbacks prior to the start of the season.
Prescott and the Cowboys offense struggled mightily against the Bucs as the team failed to score a touchdown. The Cowboys quarterback completed 14-of-29 passes for 134 yards and an interception. NBC Sports’ Melissa Starks reported that Prescott headed to the locker room to get X-rays on his injured hand.
“Dak Prescott pulled himself from the game, was evaluated on the sideline and departed for the locker room after taking two hits to his right hand while following through on throws,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe detailed on Twitter.
Prescott Was Listed on the Week 1 Injury Report With an Ankle Injury
The latest incident comes days after Prescott was listed on the injury report for his surgically repaired ankle. Prescott attempted to dismiss the injury citing his decision to change cleats, but FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported there was initially a real fear about the star quarterback’s status.
“Oh, they got a scare,” Glazer detailed on the September 11 edition of “FOX NFL Kickoff.” “They tried to just play it off. They got scared there on Thursday because at the start of practice it felt like something popped down there in his foot.
“They took him off to X-ray him. While he was gone, oh yeah, there was a lot of people in [Dallas] holding their breath. But X-rays were negative, it seemed like he just popped some scar tissue. They brought him out yesterday, they ran him fully. He is fully good to go. They can exhale.”
To Prescott’s credit, the quarterback was absent from the team’s final injury report indicating there was not a serious concern about his ankle. Prescott’s hand injury is a more pressing concern as well as the Cowboys’ offensive plan moving forward.
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