So much of the preseason analysis regarding NFL teams operates under the assumption that all key players will remain healthy, all season long. We know that injuries are inevitable, and that some of them will change everything. We just have no idea when they’ll happen and to whom they’ll happen and how long they’ll happen to be out.
In Dallas, a season with an ominous vibe has taken a disastrous turn, given that quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a broken bone in his hand/wrist on Sunday night against the Buccaneers. The closest thing to a timeline comes from Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who reports that Prescott will miss 6-8 weeks.
Prescott will meet with the team’s hand specialist on Monday. It’s expected that he will have a pin and a plate inserted, in order to stabilize the thumb joint.
The timeline means that Prescott could be back by Week Seven (vs. Lions) or Week Eight (vs. Bears). Dallas has a bye in Week Nine, before finishing their NFC North tour with trips to Green Bay in Week 10 and Minnesota in Week 11.
The Cowboys will try to hold it together with Cooper Rush at quarterback. What other option do they have? Cam Newton is available, but no one has even whispered his name. Trade options are limited to the likes of Mason Rudolph and maybe Gardner Minshew -- but why would the Eagles (who know as well as anyone the value of a great backup quarterback) trade their No. 2, to Dallas of all places?
The Cowboys could scour practice squads, from which players can be signed. They can look for free agents. They can hold tryouts. The problem remains that there aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around. Hell, there aren’t enough bad quarterbacks around. And the Cowboys will have to find a way to win with quarterbacks who, relative to Prescott, are closer to bad than good.
