Cowboys’ Dak Prescott expected to miss several weeks, source says

FRISCO, Texas — Monday had a lot of moving parts for the Dallas Cowboys, now 3-5 after Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and none was bigger than the health of quarterback Dak Prescott.

Coach Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys were prepared to say only that Prescott will miss Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a right hamstring injury, although a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Prescott is expected to miss several weeks.

Prescott is in the process of getting a second opinion, and once that information is finalized, the Cowboys could discuss the possibility of putting him on injured reserve. If they make that move, he would be out until Dec. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The immediate focus is on the Eagles with Cooper Rush as the starting quarterback.

“It really doesn’t change anything with us. Even speaking with Dak earlier, this is about the quarterback room. We’ve always invested all the time and energy into the quarterback, Dak, that has the football,” McCarthy said. “So now it’s Cooper’s turn, and Dak will be part of that process. We’ll rally around him and make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that he’s prepared. We’ll just keep going about it the way we’ve gone about it.”

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder after he was injured in the second half against the Falcons. Lamb has missed just one game in his career due to injury. He is also getting more evaluations, but McCarthy was optimistic.

If Lamb plays against the Eagles, it will be with serious pain in his shoulder. He suffered his injury on a 10-yard reception in the second quarter against the Falcons. He continued to play but then landed on it again in the fourth quarter while trying for a diving catch in the end zone.

“Just knowing CeeDee, I don’t see him not playing,” McCarthy said, “but that’s why you do the testing.”

A source told Schefter that defensive end Micah Parsons “should be back,” this week after missing the past four games with a high left ankle injury. McCarthy said Parsons is “feeling better.” Parsons remains the team leader in pressures even though he has missed those four games.

“He’s going to get some practice time Wednesday. It’ll be a big day to kind of point us in that direction,” McCarthy said. “It looks like he’s going to be able to potentially be on the practice field.”

McCarthy also indicated that cornerback DaRon Bland could return to practice this week after his workout Tuesday to test his surgically repaired left foot. He has not played all season after undergoing surgery in August.

And running back Ezekiel Elliott will be available this week, according to McCarthy, after he was inactive and kept in Dallas for the game because of disciplinary reasons. McCarthy has not spoken with Elliott since Friday.

But the key loss is Prescott, even if he has not had the best of seasons with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He broke a string of three straight games with multiple interceptions Sunday but threw for only 133 yards on 18-of-24 passing with a 3-yard touchdown pass.

“He’s been through these before, and again it’s not going to change who he is,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “He knows there’s a ton of football left to play, and he understands that we can find ways to win football games while he’s watching, while he’s helping, and whatever that looks like, he’s motivated to do his part.”

Since 2020, Prescott has missed games with a dislocation and fracture of his right ankle, a right calf strain and a broken right thumb.

Rush went 4-1 as the Cowboys’ starter in 2022 after Prescott suffered the thumb injury in the season opener. The Cowboys did not score more than 25 points in any of Rush’s starts, but the defense allowed more than 20 points just once. His lone loss came against the Eagles, when he was intercepted three times.

For his career, Rush is 5-1 as a starter.

“Cooper Rush is [as] respected as a backup quarterback … since Rich Gannon when I was with Rich in the ’90s with the Kansas City Chiefs,” McCarthy said. “He carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone you can see the young guys lean on. He’s wicked smart, instinctive, does a great job when he runs the scout team. He just does everything the right ways. He’s an excellent pro. There will be plenty of confidence in him.”

The trade deadline is Tuesday, and after the loss to Atlanta, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team “has some things in the mill” for potential deals, but not of a blockbuster nature.

“I don’t think it’s as much as what you need; it’s really what’s available and does it help you get better,” McCarthy said. “That’s how I’ve always approached the trade deadline. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of history of bringing players on at the trade deadline. I think if things are right, the value and everything that goes into it, this isn’t just on a decision based off of this position, that position. It all has to fit together.”