Dak Prescott will miss some games for the Dallas Cowboys but could return earlier than expected. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, could return in four to six weeks following Monday’s surgery on his injured thumb. It all depends on how the bone heals and when Prescott starts throwing again, Pelissero said.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team won’t place Prescott on injured reserve. “We won’t be putting him on IR,” Jones said Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan. “Which means we want him to be in consideration for playing within the next four games. We will not put him on IR.”
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The injury happened in the fourth quarter when Prescott hit the hand of Buccaneers linebacker Shaq Barrett while throwing a pass. Prescott reportedly had a pin and plate inserted into the area when he met with the team hand specialist on Monday. After the game, X-rays showed that Prescott had a fracture in his thumb. When speaking to reporters on Monday, Prescott said the injury could have been much worse than it is.
“I was told it was much cleaner than it could have been,” Prescott said, per the Cowboys’ official website. “It’s very disappointing, but injuries happen. Can’t necessarily control it. Just unfortunate. I’m obviously going to miss some time and not be there for my team and that’s what hurts more than anything, especially after the start that we just put out there.”
The Cowboys lost to the Buccaneers 19-3, and Prescott finished the night with 134 yards and one interception. This is Prescott’s second major injury in three seasons as he injured his ankle in 2020 and missed the majority of the season. He’s coming off a 2021 season where he threw for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the Cowboys to an NFC East championship.
“Obviously just not what you want to hear. But it’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me,” Prescott said. “It’s just another bump in the road and I’ll keep moving forward. I’ll do everything that I can that I can control to get myself back, to get myself better, help this team and be the best that I can in this role.”
With Prescott out for an extended period of time, the team will go with Cooper Rush as the starting quarterback. Rush completed seven of his 13 passes for 64 yards in the loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. He has been with the Cowboys since 2017 and has played in 11 games with one start.
