Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that quarterback Dak Prescott is likely headed to injured reserve due to a strained hamstring, which will keep him out for at least four games. However, Jones made it clear that the Cowboys are still looking to improve their team, not give up on their season.
During his radio show on trade deadline day, Jones mentioned the Cowboys had made a trade with the Carolina Panthers, acquiring wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, though he did not mention Mingo by name.
The Cowboys will give up a 2025 fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick to complete the deal. “We’re not selling,” Jones said. “We’re buying and not selling.”
Prescott got injured in the second half of the Cowboys’ 27-21 loss to Atlanta. With a tough schedule ahead, including a game against NFC East rival Philadelphia on Sunday, the Cowboys (3-5) are facing a challenging stretch of four consecutive games against teams with winning records.
Jones commented on Prescott’s recovery, saying, “It’s an extended period of time here. I wouldn’t dare make a prediction when it could be. We’ll see kind of how his rehab goes.”
In Prescott’s absence, Cooper Rush will take over as starting quarterback, just as he did in 2022 when the Cowboys went 4-1 while Prescott was out with a thumb injury. Rush also filled in for Prescott in 2021 and won a game during that time.
Jones acknowledged that Prescott’s injury is another tough blow for the team, which is currently on a three-game losing streak, its first since 2020.
“There’s no question that Dak’s injury is a setback,” Jones said. “But we’ve seen Cooper do it. We know what we need to do, the strategies on the offense. We just need to come together game by game, use all of our players to the extent that it helps us.”
The Dallas Cowboys, who are the defending NFC East champions, are already three games behind Washington and Philadelphia in the division. The Commanders (7-2) are one of the teams Dallas will face in a tough four-game stretch against teams with winning records.
Dallas’ game against Washington will be the only away game in the next five for the Cowboys, who are currently 0-3 at home. If Prescott is placed on injured reserve, he won’t be able to return until after the Cowboys’ five-game stretch, with the next potential game being December 9 against Cincinnati.
Jerry Jones said he expects two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to return for the game against the Eagles after missing four games due to a high ankle sprain. Coach Mike McCarthy also mentioned that Parsons is expected to practice on Wednesday for the first time since the injury.
The Cowboys could also soon see the return of All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland, who set an NFL record last season with five interception returns for touchdowns. He had surgery for a stress fracture in his foot during the preseason and is close to making his season debut.
Jones emphasized that the Cowboys will need to pull together as a team to succeed despite the challenges. “We’re going to have to have it from within to get where we all want to go,” Jones said.
“We’re going to have to do something that’s a storybook type of scenario. I’ve been a part of a couple of those. And it can happen.”
Mingo was drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but the team, which has the worst record in the league, has seen better performances from rookies Xavier Legette (a first-round pick) and Jalen Coker (an undrafted player). Last week, the Panthers also traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
For Dallas, acquiring Mingo seems to be more about the future than just this season. Brandin Cooks, the Cowboys’ second receiver behind All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, is set to become a free agent in 2025. Mingo, on the other hand, has a contract that lasts until 2026.
Lamb, who injured his right shoulder against the Falcons, is expected to play on Sunday. Cooks, dealing with a knee issue, could return from IR this week, but the Cowboys have been careful with when to allow him to play again.
To make room on the roster for Mingo, the Cowboys released cornerback Andrew Booth, whom they had acquired from Minnesota in a trade during training camp.
