Dak Prescott injury update: Cowboys quarterback to have season-ending surgery on hamstring

Following an exhaustive evaluation, the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott have opted for season-ending surgery on the quarterback's injured hamstring.

Team owner Jerry Jones made the fairly expected announcement Tuesday morning during his weekly radio interview on 105.3 The FAN. Prescott was hurt during Week 9's loss to the Falcons in Atlanta and hasn't played since.

Prescott said following the game that the issue was “something he never felt before," and the pain on his face was obvious during his final throw of the afternoon. He said the medical staff opted to shut him down because he could no longer reasonably safeguard himself on the field. Last week, NFL Network's Jane Slater reported the ninth-year veteran had suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon, meaning a portion of it was torn off the bone.

It's the latest blow to what was already a highly disappointing season – one that started with the 2023 NFL MVP runner-up signing a record four-year, 240 million extension. Prescott had sought a path to return this season, but the reigning (for now) NFC East champions are 3-6 and now set to be without their most important player until 2025.

Who are the Cowboys' backup QBs?

Dallas has somewhat intriguing fallbacks with Prescott headed for the shelf, though Week 10's 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles didn't engender much hope.

Cooper Rush hadn’t played much lately before completing 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards and a TD in relief at Atlanta. He was far less effective (13 completions producing 45 yards) against Philly. He is scheduled to start Monday against the Houston Texans.

Rush essentially saved the 2022 regular season by winning four of five starts when Prescott was sidelined with a bum thumb. With nearly the entirety of his seven-year career spent in Dallas, Rush is intimately familiar with the personnel and playbook.

QB3 Trey Lance received 15 snaps against Philadelphia and could get further opportunities – which would be a welcome development for the No. 3 pick of the 2021 draft to kickstart his thus far disappointing career. He was acquired (for a fourth-round pick) from the San Francisco 49ers before the start of the 2023 season but has not unseated Rush.

Lance will be a free agent next year.

Dallas Cowboys' remaining 2024 schedule

Nov. 18: vs. Houston Texans (Monday Night Football)

Nov. 24: at Washington Commanders

Nov. 28: vs. New York Giants (Thanksgiving)

Dec. 9: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Monday Night Football)

Dec. 15: at Carolina Panthers

Dec. 22: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football)

Dec. 29: at Philadelphia Eagles

Jan. 5: vs. Washington Commanders

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dak Prescott injury update: Cowboys QB needs surgery, ends 2024 season