Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott underwent surgery this week after he suffered a fractured thumb, but team owner Jerry Jones is expecting him back a lot sooner than initially reported.
Jones said during his Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan that the Cowboys will not place Prescott on injured reserve. If they did, Prescott would not be eligible to play the next four games. Jones says Prescott has a realistic chance of returning before that.
Jerry Jones said he’s not just being optimistic. They feel that after Dak Prescott’s surgery yesterday, the timeline has changed. It was originally thought to be a 6-8 week injury. Jones seems to think it’s closer to 3-4 weeks now. “Feel better about it than we did Sunday night.” https://t.co/VxgHE7FZac
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 13, 2022
Jones has a history of being overly optimistic when it comes to injuries, but in this case he must not be the only one who feels that way. If he were, the Cowboys would place Prescott on injured reserve and free up a roster spot for at least the next month.
A report on Monday claimed Prescott would miss 6-8 weeks. It would make more sense for the Cowboys to rush Prescott back late in the season, but they must be expecting a very quick recovery.
Prescott suffered the thumb injury when Bucs linebacker Shaq Barrett hit Prescott’s hand as the quarterback was throwing a pass in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s 19-3 loss. He initially stayed in the game but struggled to get zip on his throws. His hand was then hit again on the same drive and he exited the game.
Cooper Rush is expected to start for the Cowboys in Week 2. There has been talk of them trading for a veteran quarterback, but there will be no need for that if they truly expect Prescott to return by Week 5.
