Cowboys Make Key Move With Dak Prescott Ahead of Texans Matchup

The Dallas Cowboys have officially placed quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve, ending his season due to a hamstring injury.

Prescott had surgery on his injured hamstring on November 13 and is expected to be ready for the start of next season. The Cowboys’ $240 million passer suffered the injury during a 27-21 Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Prescott’s highly anticipated season, coming off a record-setting extension, disappointed. He had 1,978 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions prior to the injury. The offense lacked the explosive plays that pushed it to 12 wins in each of the last three seasons.

“I hate that for him,” Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “He just had surgery and we pray for his speedy recovery. We’re all thinking about him. But as far as for us, we’ve got to go out there and compete for him as if he is there — as far as the competitive spirit, the leadership and everything he’s expecting. We’ve got to step up.”

In addition to placing Prescott on IR, the team also promoted defensive back Josh Butler from the practice squad and elevated tight end Princeton Fant and cornerback Kemon Hall.

Cowboys Confident in Cooper Rush as Dak Prescott’s Replacement

The Cowboys are turning to Cooper Rush as their starting quarterback with Prescott sidelined. Rush has some experience and won the first four games he started in place of Prescott in 2022.

However, Rush’s first start of the season was rough against the Philadelphia Eagles. He passed for just 45 yards, completing 12 of 23 passes.

“We’ve got a lot of faith in Cooper,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “Everybody believes in him. How can you not based off of how he has performed? That fumble and the recovery attempt was off to a rough start, and I just felt like he never got into a rhythm.”

Rush’s tough outing also affected the production of star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had just six catches for 21 yards. Lamb took the blame after the loss, which dropped Dallas to 3-6.

“I take full responsibility in getting in sync with him,” Lamb said. “Obviously we’re going to ride this thing out for the rest of the season. I have the most confidence in him. I don’t care what happened last week.”

If Rush continues to struggle, the Cowboys could turn to former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who has seen very limited action in Dallas since being acquired via a 2023 trade.

CeeDee Lamb Expected to Play Despite Back Injury

There is a question about Lamb’s availability for Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans. Lamb injured his back during Friday’s practice and landed on the injury report as questionable.

Despite the designation, the Cowboys are confident their No. 1 receiver will be available for the matchup.

“We feel really good about it, that he’s gonna be able to play tonight,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Monday.

The Cowboys cannot afford to be without Lamb, their top offensive weapon. Lamb has 59 catches for 681 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The Cowboys are a touchdown underdog at home as they host the 6-4 Texans.