Cowboys to place Dak on IR for hamstring injury

Cowboys to put QB Dak Prescott on IR for hamstring injuryplay

What would putting Dak Prescott on IR mean for Cowboys? (0:59)

Adam Schefter reports on several questions for the Cowboys surrounding Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury. (0:59)

Todd Archer, ESPN Staff WriterNov 8, 2024, 05:18 PM ET

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Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.FRISCO, Texas — While the move has not been made official yet, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be placed on injured reserve, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Jones said, “I think it’s probably no way he can be back in the four-week timeframe, so we’ll put him over there and we’ll have that roster spot to use in terms of the next four weeks and go from there. Obviously a tough, tough situation, losing him for that period time, but we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of Dak and right now I don’t think anyone knows whether it’ll be four weeks, six weeks or the season. We’ll just have to continue to monitor that and see where it takes us.”

Multiple sources said Prescott is looking at 6-8 weeks of recovery because of the partial avulsion of his hamstring he suffered in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He has sought numerous opinions on the injury and earlier Friday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on the Fan that there is no answer yet as to whether Prescott will require surgery.

If he has surgery, then he would miss the rest of the regular season. In 2022, left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a full avulsion of his hamstring just before the start of the season and missed the first 13 games.

“He’s got to have some weeks off of it before he can see if it really does require surgery and so he doesn’t want surgery. He wants to be on the field and going for it,” Jerry Jones said. “And so he’s weighing that, we’re weighing that and we’ll just see how it goes here.”

It is likely Prescott will be placed on injured reserve Saturday as the Cowboys look to elevate a player from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. That would keep him out at least the next four games until Dec. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals but likely needing more time to be able to return.

By then the 3-5 Cowboys could be well off of a playoff chase with four games remaining in the regular season.

“Well aware it’s there, well aware it could happen,” Jerry Jones said, “but that type of thinking hasn’t entered into it.”