Dak Prescott planning to have season-ending surgery, sources say

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott plans to undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring, pending the opinion of one final specialist, sources told ESPN.

Prescott is flying to New York early next week to meet with the specialist, but Cowboys doctors and trainers already believe he needs the surgery that would sideline him for four months, sources said. If the specialist agrees with that assessment, the surgery is scheduled to take place Wednesday.

The Cowboys believe it is better to address the injury now than to let it heal on its own and potentially encounter complications later. Speaking Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Prescott wanted to avoid surgery. In recent years, he has undergone surgeries on his right ankle, right thumb and left shoulder.

But Dallas also understands the reality of its situation. The Cowboys are 3-5 headed into Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2), with quarterback Cooper Rush slated to replace Prescott and make his first start of the season.

A loss Sunday would leave the Cowboys (3-6) at least four games behind the NFC East leader. The Cowboys know they're not far from putting their emphasis on making sure Prescott is fully healthy for the 2025 season.

Either way, Dallas is expected to place Prescott on injured reserve next week. The Cowboys did not put him on IR on Saturday with the partial avulsion of the right hamstring, which means the earliest now he could return will be Dec. 15 against the Carolina Panthers, if the team makes the roster move next week.

Multiple sources said Prescott would need six to eight weeks to recover without surgery. 

The Cowboys did not need Prescott's spot on the 53-man roster for Sunday's game against Philadelphia. Instead, he will be among the team's inactive players.

Rush will start against the Eagles, with Trey Lance as the backup. Coach Mike McCarthy said the team is considering adding a quarterback to either the active roster or the practice squad.

The Cowboys don't believe they have to change their offense for Rush. When Rush was under center the last time Prescott was injured and missed time, the Cowboys didn't score more 25 points in a game, but their defense allowed an average of just over 15.

There also remains the strong possibility that the Cowboys will deploy certain packages that use Lance. Both Rush and Lance are in the last year of their contracts.

This is expected to mark the second time in his career that Prescott ends the season on injured reserve. In 2020, he suffered a dislocation and compound fracture of his right ankle in Week 5.

The Cowboys also elevated cornerback Josh Butler and wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper from the practice squad this week. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, who did not practice Friday because of an illness, was able to get work in Saturday.

ESPN's Todd Archer contributed to this report.