National Football League

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) likely going on IR, says Jerry Jones

Updated Nov. 5, 2024 10:50 a.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys will probably be without their starting quarterback for at least the rest of November.

Dak Prescott is "likely" to be placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday. If Prescott is placed on injured reserve, he'll miss at least four games as Jones isn't sure when to expect the quarterback to return.

"It's likely we'll IR him," Jones said. " … 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."

Prescott suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Cowboys' 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. He had a notable limp after throwing an incomplete pass on the final play of the third quarter as he departed the field. Prescott was set to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury. It was reported that he would miss multiple games as he sought a second opinion on the injury on Monday.

"Didn't think much of it," Prescott told reporters. "Then, the next play, I felt a pull. That's something I never felt. It was tough to walk on it at that point. I asked if I could make it worse. The [medical staff] said I wouldn't be able to protect myself. I wanted to get out there and compete. I wanted to get out there and fight."

Backup Cooper Rush filled in for Prescott afterward, completing 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Sunday will mark Rush's first start since 2022.

Prescott is just the latest in a growing list of key players who have gone down for Dallas (3-5) this season, joining star linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Daron Bland. However, the Cowboys are reportedly optimistic that Parsons can return for this Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

When he was healthy, though, Prescott was struggling, one year after being an MVP candidate. His completion percentage (64.7), yards per attempt (6.9) and passer rating (86) are on track to be career lows. The Cowboys also made Prescott the highest-paid player just hours ahead of their season opener. He signed a four-year, $240 million extension with $231 million guaranteed that will kick in at the start of the 2025 season.

Even before Prescott's injury, Dallas' margin for error was thin. Its next three games are against teams that have winning records (Philadelphia, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders), as it's multiple games out of a playoff spot. Without their starter, the Cowboys' hill to make the postseason for a fourth-straight year is now much steeper to climb.

Jones still has some faith, though, citing Rush's career 5-1 record as a starter.

"There's no question that Dak's injury is 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."

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