The 2024 season has dealt the Dallas Cowboys a harsh hand, with Dak Prescott sidelined and his teammates desperately fighting to salvage what remains of a tumultuous campaign.
At 3-7, the Cowboys are staring down the barrel of a lost season, with injuries piling up and consistency nowhere to be found. For Prescott, who has been forced into a spectator role, the struggles on the field mirror his personal battle with recovery.
Prescott’s absence has been the most devastating blow for Dallas. Without their franchise quarterback, the Cowboys have dropped five straight games, including two lopsided losses in their last two outings. Watching the team’s unraveling from the sideline has taken its toll on Prescott, who recently opened up about the emotional weight of the season.
“The other day, after the game, it all just hit me,” Prescott admitted, reflecting on the Monday night loss to Houston. “Boom, right. A couple of tears came down. This is going to hurt. It’s going to suck at times. I don’t want anything right now other than to let it suck.”
This season-ending hamstring injury is Prescott’s latest hurdle in a career already marked by adversity. Four years ago, he endured a gruesome ankle injury while playing under the franchise tag. The Cowboys finished 6-10 that year, but Prescott rebounded to sign a four-year, $160 million deal in 2021. Now, after securing a lucrative four-year, $240-million extension this offseason, his year has been cut short again.
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The severity of the injury left little room for optimism. Prescott revealed that two of the three tendons connecting his hamstring to the pelvis tore completely, with the third hanging on by a thread. Even routine movements worsened the injury, a realization that confirmed his fears. “Hell, I had a week of not even playing football, just walking and normal movement, and that was tearing it,” he shared.
For Prescott, the timing couldn’t have been worse. After a stellar 2023 campaign where he led the NFL in passing touchdowns and finished third in passing yards, this year was supposed to be the Cowboys’ redemption arc. Instead, the team has stumbled, limping to a 3-5 start before Prescott went down in Week 9.
“It’s been a tough year personally with my emotions because it’s a roller coaster,” Prescott said. “Off the field, it’s been some of the most joyous times—having a child, getting engaged, starting a family. But on the football field, it’s probably been as tough of a season as I’ve ever had. I’d probably say the toughest.”
Without Prescott, the Cowboys’ offense has been exposed. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush has struggled to generate momentum, throwing for 354 yards in a blowout loss to Houston but unable to overcome the team’s lack of offensive weapons. With playoff hopes fading fast, questions about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy have taken center stage.
For now, Prescott is left to grapple with his own frustration and focus on his recovery. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing,” he said. “I need some wins. I need some small victories. I need to see that I’m taking a step forward even when it looks like I’m in place.”
Despite the despair of the current season, Prescott remains resolute about the road ahead. “There is a future,” he said. “I know which direction I’m headed in. I know I will be faster, stronger, and better than I ever have by the way I will attack this.”
When Prescott returns to the field, he’ll likely be greeted by a reshaped roster and coaching staff. But for now, his focus is on turning pain into progress, ensuring the next chapter of his Cowboys career is one of resilience and redemption.
