Dak Prescott’s surgery is about to happen. While there were rumors he might return late in the season, his hamstring injury will now end his season.
Prescott will undergo surgery in New York on Wednesday, with team owner Jerry Jones confirming the news during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota).
Given the Cowboys’ situation and the type of injury Prescott has, it’s not a big surprise that his season is over. After a heavy loss to the Eagles, the Cowboys will stick with backup Cooper Rush as their starter.
However, veteran Cowboys reporter Newy Scruggs added that the team is bringing Will Grier onto the practice squad. Grier was recently released from the Eagles’ practice squad.
Prescott, 31, is believed to have a partial tear of his hamstring tendon, similar to an injury that kept Tyron Smith out for most of 2022. This injury led Prescott to see several doctors, including one in New York.
The advice from these doctors led to the decision that Prescott’s season would end early. Despite the injury, Prescott’s contract situation has been very successful, though his performance this season hasn’t been as strong.
Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension that set a new bar for quarterback salaries, raising the average annual value by $5 million. At the time of his injury in Week 9 against the Falcons, Prescott ranked 25th in QBR.
The hamstring injury occurred during a scramble, and Prescott struggled to throw the ball after that. The Cowboys were hoping Prescott could help turn around a season that now seems lost. With Rush as the starter and Trey Lance as backup, Dallas may be heading for a coaching change, as Mike McCarthy’s job is likely in jeopardy.
The 2020s have been a rollercoaster for Prescott. He signed two player-friendly extensions but faced major setbacks, including a serious ankle injury in 2020 that derailed his season.
Prescott bounced back in 2021, leading the team to a 12-5 record and a top offensive ranking, but then struggled in 2022 with a thumb injury and led the league in interceptions (15). He had a better season last year, earning second-team All-Pro honors, but now faces another difficult year in 2024.
When Prescott was hurt in 2020, the Cowboys finished 6-10, and Washington won the NFC East with a 7-9 record. Over the next few years, the Cowboys and Eagles traded division titles, but McCarthy is almost certainly on his way out now.
With a 3-6 record this season, the Cowboys are set to play 10 games without their starting quarterback. Jones has faced criticism for how he built the roster, especially with big contracts for Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, while other positions were neglected.
As a result, McCarthy’s replacement will likely inherit a team with a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.
Grier spent nearly two years with the Cowboys after joining them in 2021 through waivers. He was cut in 2023, then signed with the Chargers to finish the 2022 season and later joined the Eagles before coming back to the Cowboys.
He’ll now help fill out the QB room, which will still be led by Rush, who has been Prescott’s backup for most of his career.
With the Cowboys’ current situation, it seems likely that Lance will get more playing time in the future, but McCarthy confirmed that Rush will get at least one more start. Lance’s rookie contract is set to end after this season, while Rush’s two-year, $4 million deal will also expire.
Thanks to the massive contract Prescott signed in September, he’s locked into the Cowboys until 2028. The deal includes no-tag and no-trade clauses. However, the contract will need to be adjusted in 2025 because it has an unsustainable $89.9 million cap hit.
