Report: Dak Prescott undergoes successful surgery for fractured thumb

The Dallas Cowboys got some good news on Monday as quarterback Dak Prescott underwent a successful surgery on his thumb. The surgery kicks off the recovery timeline for Prescott, which was estimated at 6-8 weeks after his diagnosis.

If Prescott is able to recover according to the initial timeline, it’s possible that Dallas will keep him out until after their bye week in Week 9 — allowing for a return in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers.

Dak Prescott undergoes successful surgery

“Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had successful surgery to stabilize his fractured thumb,” shared NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport on Monday.

Prescott suffered the fracture during the fourth quarter of a loss to Tampa Bay, in which the Dallas offense only scored three points. The 19-3 loss raised plenty of concerns about the future of the Dallas offense even before Prescott went off the field with injury, and the first half of the season will be a major challenge for a Dallas team that began the year with Super Bowl aspirations.

Dak Prescott’s updated return timeline

After undergoing successful surgery on his thumb, Prescott has a new return timeline for his injury rehab. While initial reports of his expected timeline indicated it would between 6-8 weeks, NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport indicated that Dallas has not ruled out a return before their bye week in Week 9.

If Prescott’s recovery goes well, he could be back in action by Oct. 30 for their game against the Chicago Bears, with a bye week afterwards to rest after his first game back. If not, Dallas could opt to wait until after their bye week and have him return to game action on Nov. 13 against the Green Bay Packers.

The question will most likely be answered by how Prescott’s recovery has progressed by that time and his performance in practice. Ultimately, it seems most likely that Prescott’s injury will hold him out for a total of six or seven games this season.

Dallas is set to play without Prescott against the Bengals at home, the Giants on the road, the Commanders at home, road games against the Rams and the Eagles, and finally a home game against the Lions.