Dallas City News

Cowboys to put QB Dak Prescott on injured reserve for hamstring injury – Todd Archer, ESPN

As expected, Dak Prescott will be out for quite some time.

While the move has not been made official yet, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be placed on injured reserve, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones.

Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, Jones said, “I think it’s probably no way he can be back in the four-week timeframe, so we’ll put him over there and we’ll have that roster spot to use in terms of the next four weeks and go from there. Obviously a tough, tough situation, losing him for that period time, but we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of Dak and right now I don’t think anyone knows whether it’ll be four weeks, six weeks or the season. We’ll just have to continue to monitor that and see where it takes us.”

Multiple sources said Prescott is looking at 6-8 weeks of recovery because of the partial avulsion of his hamstring he suffered in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He has sought numerous opinions on the injury and earlier Friday, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on the Fan that there is no answer yet as to whether Prescott will require surgery.

If he has surgery, then he would miss the rest of the regular season. In 2022, left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a full avulsion of his hamstring just before the start of the season and missed the first 13 games.

Cowboys injury news: DaRon Bland out, Micah Parsons, Tyler Guyton questionable – LP Cruz, Blogging The Boys

It looks like Micah Parsons has a real shot to make his return from a high ankle sprain.

The Dallas Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend at AT&T Stadium, and while the Cowboys injury list is long, the Eagles look to be getting almost fully healthy for the contest. Unsurprisingly, Dak Prescott was ruled out with a hamstring that will keep him out for multiple weeks. He will probably be on injured reserve soon.

Here’s what we know about the health status of the Cowboys and Eagles heading into Sunday’s game.

Cowboys injury list for Sunday

Micah Parsons (ankle) was designated as questionable on the final injury report. However, the indication is that he will return to the lineup for the first time since his injury against the New York Giants. CeeDee Lamb, who was in good spirits in the locker room, practiced fully Friaday and has no injury designation for this week’s game. According to head coach Mike McCarthy, Tyler Guyton, was “very limited” today and is questionable to play versus the Eagles. Guard Zack Martin (shoulder) had missed the first two days of practice, but was upgraded to full participation today and also does not carry an injury designation and will play Sunday.

Also cited as questionable is Eric Kendricks, who is working through his own shoulder injury. Kendricks managed to get another limited practice Friday, leaning towards optimism that he can suit up versus the Eagles.

DaRon Bland (foot) has been ruled out after three consecutive DNPs this week. Calen Carson and Trevon Diggs should be the starting cornerbacks again this week. Carson (shoulder) practiced fully this week for all three days. Meanwhile, Diggs (calf/ilness), did not practice Friday although he has been listed as questionable. Safety Juanyeh Thomas did not clear concussion protocol and has been ruled out.

Jerry Jones, Cowboys see Micah Parsons as “integral” part of future – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

Micah Parsons is a cornerstone player in Dallas and will be for a long time.

As the trade deadline approached last week, there was some speculation as to whether or not the Dallas Cowboys would move Micah Parsons. That speculation was baseless, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants Parsons to be in the fold for the long run.

“No, absolutely not.” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan when asked if the team had considered trading Parsons.

Parsons, who leads the team in pressures despite not having played since Week 4 against the Giants, is on track to return Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s clear that Jones wants him to suit up for many more games with the star on his helmet in the future too.

“I wouldn’t because we want Micah Parsons, he’s integral to our future,” Jones said when asked if he would ever think about moving Parsons. “So ‘no’ is the big answer.”

And the feeling is mutual amongst Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones and vice president of player personnel Will McClay, who help Jones make those kinds of decisions.

“We haven’t had one conversation, ever, about not having Micah Parsons on the team, ever.” Jones said.

As Cowboys navigate imperfect 2024, merits of draft and develop method come into question – David Moore, Dallas Morning News

Dallas needs to do some soul searching on how they handle the offseason.

The game against the Eagles, and every game before it, has been a referendum on the franchise’s approach to the offseason.

This isn’t meant to impugn the concept of draft and develop. It’s sound. But no single approach to building a team can be embraced from one season to the next at the exclusion of all others. There are too many variables to juggle.

Did the Cowboys allow too many players in their veteran safety net to walk, leaving head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff at the mercy of some young players who haven’t developed as quickly as envisioned? Should the club have pushed a few more salary cap hits down the road to bring more balance to the current roster?

Throw in a run of injuries at defensive end and corner and the assorted personnel missteps that take place in every building across the league, and the Cowboys find themselves trapped in something of a perfect storm in this imperfect 3-5 season.

These are questions Jerry and Stephen Jones ask themselves as the team tries to right itself in the final nine games of the regular season. McCarthy and Will McClay, the club’s vice president of player personnel, try to identify why a team coming off three, consecutive 12-5 seasons finds itself in this spot.

“Maybe we could have done a better job of not betting on the come with some of the young guys,’’ Stephen Jones said. “Maybe we could have gone a little more into the future to help the current team. Maybe we should have pushed a little more out.

“We’ve got to look at that.’’

High 5: These players crucial to 2nd-half surge – Kyle Youmans, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys will need these players the most over the next two months.

5) Mazi Smith

The defensive tackle position continues to be a sore spot for the Cowboys. Dallas waived Jordan Phillips who they traded a 2026 sixth-round pick for in August and hasn’t seen much of anything out of Linval Joseph or Mazi Smith. Smith stands out because over his 253 snaps on the defensive line, he is the lowest graded defensive lineman in the NFL. Ranked 124th out of 124. He’s tallied three pressures, eight stops, and 12 tackles over those 253 total tries. Despite his poor production, he is the only option for Dallas this season with the trade deadline in the rearview. There were signs of life in his performance against the Giants in Week 4 that haven’t shown up since. Dallas desperately needs Mazi Smith to take a step forward on the defensive line.

4) CeeDee Lamb

Expectations were high for Lamb entering the year. They may be even higher now as he’s proven to be the only consistent weapon on offense this season. Last week, he also proved a level of grit and toughness that this team needed to see, while fighting through a sprained AC joint suffered in the loss to Atlanta. Despite that injury, he’s fighting his way to be in the lineup this week and will be needed in a big way without the franchise quarterback available. Lamb is still one of the best receivers in the NFL. He’ll be needed as such down the stretch.

3) Zack Martin

It is no longer a secret. Zack Martin has not been great this season. Throughout his career, he’s been one of the best offensive linemen in the league week in and week out. That just isn’t the case this season. He’s allowed five sacks and 27 pressures this season according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Both of those numbers are his highest throughout a full season since 2019, and we’re only eight games in. If this offense truly stands a chance to turn things around over the second half of the season, they need their cornerstone lineman to turn back the clock.

Cowboys’ chances of storybook season now rest on shoulders of ‘confident, wicked smart’ Cooper Rush – Jon Machota, The Athletic

Can Cooper Rush do what he did when Dak Prescott was out in 2022?

Rush, 30, will be making his seventh career start Sunday. He has a 5-1 record, which includes going 4-1 in 2022 when Prescott was sidelined with a thumb injury. The one loss, however, came against Sunday’s opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rush acknowledges that he is more prepared this time around.

“I’m older, seen more, I’ve done more,” he said. “Gotten better as a player, I think, over the years. So it’s exciting.”

The negative side for Rush is that he’s playing behind a struggling offensive line and the NFC’s worst run game. The positive side is that Lamb is on track to play after suffering a painful shoulder injury last Sunday at Atlanta.

“My shoulder is much better than it was on Sunday, I’ll tell you that,” Lamb said Thursday. “I feel like I’ve taken a big step these last 2-3 days. I’m good. I was out there running today.”

Lamb, who has been listed on the practice report as limited Wednesday and Thursday, added that the injury is more about dealing with pain. His range of motion is not an issue and he does not plan on wearing a protective brace Sunday.

In Rush’s eight NFL seasons, he has showcased his best rapport with Lamb. He has thrown to the three-time Pro Bowler 66 times with 40 completions for 477 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Former Cowboys WR Noah Brown is the second-most targeted player in Rush’s career at 27 targets.

“He’s pretty easy to throw to, the guy gets open,” Rush said of Lamb. “He’s got good body language, size, all of that. He’s been awesome this week, in terms of communicating with me, letting me know what’s going on and how he sees certain things. Like I said, it’s guys I’ve played with before. I watch them practice, so it doesn’t take too long to get back in rhythm with him. He’s an easy guy to throw to.”

While praising Rush this week, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy compared Dallas’ backup QB to Rich Gannon, who McCarthy coached in the 1990s while with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“Cooper Rush is as respected of a backup quarterback that I’ve (been around) since Rich Gannon,” McCarthy said. “(Rush) carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone that you can see the young guys lean on.

“He’s wicked smart, instinctive. He does a great job when he runs the scout team. He just does everything the right way. Excellent pro. There will be plenty of confidence in him.”