Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett now works as the offensive coordinator of the rival New York Giants, but he still cares for the players he used to coach. He showed this on Sunday after Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a compound fracture in his ankle. Garrett came out onto the field to show support for Prescott and new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
Cameras showed Garrett heading out onto the field following the stunning injury. He joined McCarthy and gave a comforting pat on the back to his fellow coach. Garrett was the head coach when the Cowboys drafted Prescott with a fourth-round pick in 2016. He remained in charge of the team for the first four years of the QB’s career until the Cowboys informed Garrett that he would not return to the team in 2020.
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Jason Garrett coming out to check on Dak pic.twitter.com/5fmd5IvgWU
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) October 11, 2020
When the Cowboys informed Garrett that he would not return to the team, many expressed excitement. They proclaimed that this offense was predictable and said that the team needed to go differently. Many of these feelings remain, but the fans still expressed the opinion that they respect Garrett.
“It is unfortunate that things did not work out the way that we all wanted them to when he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, but Jason Garrett will have my respect and admiration wherever he goes. This was a powerful moment,” one person commented. Several others agreed with the sentiment and expressed the opinion that they may not have agreed with Garrett’s coaching decisions, but they still applauded him heading out onto the field on Sunday.
The injury initially occurred during a second-down play in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. Prescott ran to the left in search of a first down, but Giants cornerback Logan Ryan tackled him. The QB’s foot got caught under Ryan’s leg and twisted in the wrong direction. The referee immediately called for medical attention as Prescott remained on the ground.
The medical staff worked on Prescott, placed an air cast on his leg and then carted him off the field. He went to the hospital and underwent surgery on Sunday night. The team later announced on Monday that the operation was a success.
Roughly 24 hours after the injury to his ankle, Prescott headed home from the hospital. McCarthy confirmed the news during a Monday press conference. The QB will now focus on his recovery, which estimates place at four to six months. If the timeline holds, Prescott will be fully healthy sometime between February and April, the same period when he becomes a free agent.
