Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will visit another specialist Monday before deciding whether to undergo season-ending surgery on his injured hamstring, per sources.
People familiar with Prescott's prognosis say surgery is the most likely outcome. But Prescott wants to play, sources say, and he is determined to exhaust all options before giving up on returning this season. He has been seeing doctors and having scans sent as the decision-making process continues.
NFL Network's Jane Slater first reported last week that Prescott's injury is a partial hamstring tendon avulsion, meaning the hamstring has pulled partway off the bone. It's a serious injury that team officials have acknowledged publicly will likely sideline Prescott for a month or more. And the team is inclined to err on the side caution with the NFL's highest-paid player.
The team did not place Prescott on injured reserve as expected Saturday. That leaves open the long-shot possibility of Prescott missing fewer than four games; it also means that if Prescott lands on IR this week, he'll now miss at least five games, with a return no sooner than Dec. 15 against the Panthers.
The question at that point would be whether the Cowboys have enough at stake for Prescott to return. They're 3-5 entering Sunday's critical home division game against the Eagles, four games back in the win column of first-place Washington and three games back of the final NFC wild card spot.
The future of Prescott isn't in doubt. He and the Cowboys agreed to terms hours before the Sept. 8 opener on a record-breaking four-year, $240 million extension that includes $231 million guaranteed, putting him under contract through 2028.
For now, they're rolling with veteran backup Cooper Rush, who is slated to get the start with former No. 3 overall Trey Lance backing him up against Philadelphia. After that, they host the Texans in a Monday night game on Nov. 18, followed by a division game on the road at Washington and then another back home on Thanksgiving against the Giants.
