The Cowboys, claiming to be 'all in' prior to Dak Prescott's injury, are in a rare spot: Irrelevance
Irrelevant.
It’s a descriptor rarely associated with the Dallas Cowboys. But after reports surfaced Saturday that quarterback Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury will likely end his season, rather than merely interrupt it, that’s where we are – "America’s Team" is little more than Carolina Panthers West.
It’s quite the outcome for owner Jerry Jones, whose repeated claims that he was “all in” on the 2024 campaign couldn’t have come up emptier. After three consecutive 12-win regular seasons – two netting NFC East crowns – his club basically sat out free agency this year, produced an uninspiring draft, belatedly took care of weighty (and unavoidable) contractual business with Prescott and All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb … and wound up with a 3-5 record good for 13th place in the NFC.
And that was before it became apparent how seriously Prescott was hurt in Week 9’s loss to the Falcons in Atlanta.
So that begs the question: Other than those wild tours routinely conducted at the team's Frisco, Texas, training facility, what is there to look forward to for this team and its legion of supporters?
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Well, it’s only been a few days since Jones’ club made a widely panned deal with Carolina for wideout Jonathan Mingo, a second-rounder in 2023 who’d been so underwhelming in Charlotte (55 catches, 0 TDs in 24 NFL games) for the rebuilding Panthers … that the Cowboys forked over a fourth-rounder for him. Now, he’ll get to play in nine games ... in an offensive system that may not survive into 2025 ... and while likely gaining zero on-field familiarity with Prescott. So …
All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons has missed more than a month with an injured ankle but is apparently on the cusp of returning. Yet it’s almost worth wondering why – for Parsons and the team. He’s the next Dallas player in line for a megadeal, likely next offseason, is the linchpin of the defense, and it hardly seems worth exposing him to further injury at this point – admirable as it would be for Parsons to suit up again in what’s now a lost season. So …
If you think there’s intrigue in seeing backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Trey Lance play … welp. Rush, who will be 31 later this month, helped save the 2022 season by going 4-1 when Prescott was out with an injured thumb. However his success largely occurred against subpar competition and with an endgame of turning the operation back over to the team’s biggest star. That apparently won’t happen this time. As for Lance? There was certainly curiosity – and skepticism – when the team surrendered a Round 4 pick last year to the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 3 overall selection of the 2021 draft. Sure, maybe with the right opportunity and coaching, Lance, 24, could leverage his estimable tools into a prominent place in the league. Yet, thus far, he hasn’t even unseated Rush for the QB2 role. Also, both backups are free agents after this season and – in light of the four-year, $240 million extension Prescott signed right before the 2024 opener – this really isn’t a place to develop a young passer. It probably makes sense to re-sign Rush, but whatever success Lance might have mopping up in the coming weeks likely wouldn’t benefit Dallas aside from any short-term gains on the field. So …
Maybe the team’s fans can focus on what might be a proper send-off for pending free agents like perennial All-Pro guard Zack Martin, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and/or WR2 Brandin Cooks. But …
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Maybe – and especially with Prescott out – the Cowboys could actually see what they have in the running back room given the consistent flashes Rico Dowdle has shown in contrast to has-been stars like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook. Dowdle’s fantasy owners would certainly appreciate the gesture, and so might his new quarterback. Wait? He’s also unsigned beyond the 2024 season. Ah, well ...
Maybe local Cowboys backers can rejoice at the fact that they might not have so many prime-time games disrupt the routine of their personal lives. Sure, no sports franchise typically rakes in TV ratings like the Cowboys. But is the NFL really going to keep three exclusive window broadcast slots at AT&T Stadium – Week 11 against the Houston Texans, Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals and Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – on the docket? Especially since this year affords the league the option to flex out of Monday nighters (Texans, Bucs) for more choice matchups? So …
There’s always the spoiler role – and the Cowboys have yet to play the archrival Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday's opponent) or Washington Commanders, who seem likely to battle for the divisional title this year. But any such upsets will only bring the most temporary satisfaction – and likely simultaneous grumbling about undercutting positioning for the 2025 draft … which might not have a bumper crop of potential superstars. And, sadly for its fans, Dallas doesn't seem quite bad enough to land in position for, say, Colorado's Travis Hunter next spring. So …
However there will be one subplot truly worth monitoring.
Jones will have to decide whether or not to retain head coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract will expire once the season is over after he failed to reel in extension ahead of this cascading turmoil. McCarthy has crafted a 45-30 regular-season mark in four-plus years in North Texas. Yet he also owns an infamous 1-3 shiner in postseason, which included a catastrophic 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers at home in the wild-card round in January. McCarthy has not gotten a team that’s nearly 30 years removed from its last NFC title game and Super Bowl back to those thresholds. It was a bit of a surprise he survived the beatdown from the Pack, and now he's being evaluated even as his roster has been deteriorating for the better part of a year.
Maybe it’s worth tuning in to see how that pans out. Otherwise, Cowboys fans everywhere can be forgiven for being “all out” – at least for the next 10 months ... or so.
***Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.
