Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott injured hamstring on the run, still hopes to play next week

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn’t know exactly when he hurt his hamstring in Sunday’s 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He felt it on a scramble to the left but it was on a pass on the next play that he felt a pull that has never felt before.

Prescott stayed in for one more play before leaving the game, watching the entire fourth quarter from the sideline in futility.

Owner Jerry Jones admits being worried about Prescott’s availability for next Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first of what are a string must-win games for the now 3-5 Cowboys, riding their first three-game losing streak since finishing 6-10 in 2020.0

“Well, I am concerned about that,” Jones said. “It concerned me when I saw the play or I saw him have a reaction to any weakness that he might have had there in his ham.”

Prescott. who signed a four-year, $240 million extension before the season opener, offered the right words after the game. He said it will take a lot for him not to be on the field against the Eagles.

The Cowboys will do additional testing on the hamstring on Monday followed by a week for rehab. Prescott said he is a fast healer.

“Yeah, we gotta get looked at,” Prescott said. “Felt it on the little scramble to the left. Felt it didn’t think much. Then on the next play, throwing that the stop route to the field, pulled something, I felt something I never felt. It tough to walk on it at that point.”

Prescott went to the medical tent and asked if he would make it worse if he continued to play.

“They said I wouldn’t be able to protect myself, and made the call to hold me out,” Prescott said. “It was very difficult. I know how much we needed this one. I want to just get out there and compete, get out there and fight.”

Prescott went 18-of-24 for 133 yards and a touchdown in the game. He had three carries for 30 yards, including a long of 22 that set up a second quarter touchdown drive.

He had only 24 yards rushing coming into the game and promised to use his legs more to help the Cowboys win.

Ironically, it was on a scramble in the third quarter that called back holding that proved be the beginning of the end for Prescott on Sunday.

“I felt it when I was getting up from the run,” Prescott said. “I can’t even say that like I felt it running, maybe the tackle, maybe something on the tackle. I didn’t think it was much. You get tackled in this physical game. A lot of times you feel different things. And they kind of go away. When I got to the top of my drop to throw that ball to the right side. Yeah, I felt something I’ve never felt and, yeah, it was tough to walk on.”

The big question is what it means for the Cowboys if Prescott can’t go next week.

Cooper Rush replaced Prescott in the fourth quarter and was 13-of-25 for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Rush got the Cowboys within a score a touchdown throw to Jalen Tolbert and a two-point conversion pass to CeeDee Lamb with 1:28 remaining.

But the Falcons recovered the onside kick.

“Frustrated, obviously, like I said that last week, disappointed,” Prescott said when asked to describe his emotions. “I felt like we could get this one. Felt like this was a great one. Set up for us, yeah, and didn’t get it done. For me to experience this, have this add to the injuries It’s tough.”