FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott has decided on surgery for his torn hamstring, ending the season for the franchise quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys when their playoff hopes were already fading fast.
Owner Jerry Jones said Prescott will have the surgery Wednesday in New York. Jones was speaking on his radio show Tuesday.
“HIs prognosis is wonderful,” Jones said. “It just means we’re not going to have him for the rest of the year.”
The decision comes a little more than a week after Prescott injured the hamstring in a 27-21 loss at Atlanta. He was on the sideline for Dallas’ fourth consecutive loss, 34-6 at home to Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Cowboys (3-6) already knew they would be without last season’s runner-up in NFL MVP voting for at least a month, and were resigned to the outcome that was finalized after Prescott visited one more specialist.
The recovery time is at least three months, about the amount of time former Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith was sidelined after sustaining a similar injury in training camp two years ago.
Prescott’s hamstring was partially torn off the bone, a condition known as partial avulsion. Surgery isn’t always required in such instances, as opposed to the full tear off the bone that Smith sustained.
It’s the second time in five years that the 31-year-old Prescott will miss more than half the season because of an injury. He broke an ankle in Week 5 in 2020, when Dallas finished 6-10.
The Cowboys, who play Houston (6-4) at home next Monday night, are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The defending NFC East champions finished 12-5 in each of three consecutive playoff seasons.
Prescott, who signed a contract extension this offseason, wasn’t having a great year when he got hurt. He had 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions for an offense that was in the middle of the pack in the NFL after being among the league’s best in the playoff years.
Cooper Rush started in Prescott’s place against the Eagles but had just 45 yards passing, the fewest for a Dallas starter in a game since Matt Cassel had 37 in another lost season for the Cowboys in 2015.
Rush and Trey Lance, who briefly replaced Rush in the third quarter and came on for good later, combined for 66 passing yards. It’s the fewest for Dallas since a franchise-worst 34 in a 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay in 2001.