Dak Prescott injury update: NFL insider details Cowboys' mindset on surgery, possible return

After suffering a serious hamstring injury last week, Dak Prescott is heading to injured reserve, Dallas Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones confirmed. The question is now whether he will need surgery and if he can return this season, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared the team’s mindset moving forward.

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 will miss the next four games, and the recovery timeline could be around six weeks, Fowler said.

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.”

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.

As for when Prescott could come back, Stephen Jones said it’s still unclear. The conversations will continue with a decision on the way.

“Right now, I don’t think anyone knows whether it will be four weeks, six weeks or the season,” Jones said, via The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. “We’ll just have to continue to monitor that and see where it takes us.”