Dak Prescott injury update: Cowboys make surprising change on QB's IR status

The Dallas Cowboys did not place Dak Prescott on Injured Reserve, as originally reported, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“Despite public comments, the Cowboys have not placed QB Dak Prescott on Injured Reserve today, I’m told. They have just submitted standard elevations,” Rapoport wrote on Twitter.

Prescott suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon, meaning it’s partially off the bone. Surgery is on the table, both Stephen and Jerry Jones said, and that could determine his recovery period. By going on IR, Prescott would miss the next four games, and the recovery timeline could be around six weeks, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said.

However, it seems Prescott is not heading to IR, at least as of now.

As for whether Prescott could come back this season, Fowler said the Cowboys will first need to see if he’ll need surgery. He added the franchise is “hopeful,” but things are “not looking great.”

“Dak Prescott will be placed on injured reserve. That puts him out for four games. Executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed the news today,” Fowler said to lead off SportsCenter Friday evening. “So Dak Prescott, they’re hoping he can be back at some point this season, but they’re still determining with that hamstring issue, partially torn off the bone. You’re looking at, does he need surgery or not? That’s what they’re trying to determine. They need more time for it to heal up, crystallize, see what they’re dealing with.

“If he has surgery, likely out for the year. If he doesn’t, maybe he can come back in, say, six weeks. But they’re hopeful. It’s not looking great. It’s gonna be a lot of Cooper Rush, maybe some Trey Lance down the road, but they’re just trying to get by.”

So the original plan was to put Prescott on injured reserve. But they haven’t quite done that, per Rapoport. The saga of the Cowboys’ 2024 season continues.

Prescott is in the midst of an up-and-down year after signing a lucrative contract extension ahead of the season, which made him the NFL’s highest-paid player. He’s completing 64.7% of his passes – the second-worst rate of his career – for 1,978 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report