Jerry Jones: Dak Prescott Won't Go on Cowboys IR; Thinks QB Could Play Within 4 Games

The Dallas Cowboys are hopeful star quarterback Dak Prescott could be back sooner than originally thought after injuring his thumb in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on Shan and RJ, via Audacy's 105.3 The Fan, that Prescott will not be placed on injured reserve and that he believes Prescott could be back within four weeks.

The 29-year-old signal-caller underwent thumb surgery Monday, one day after Dallas lost its season opener to the Bucs.

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, sources indicated after the surgery that Prescott would miss six to eight weeks.

The injury was the worst thing that could have happened to the Cowboys as it exposed how little the team did to address the offense in the offseason.

Cedrick Wilson left as a free agent. La'el Collins was released. Amari Cooper wound up with the Cleveland Browns in a trade. Rather than sign any notable free agents, Dallas targeted offensive tackle Tyler Smith, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert and tight end Jake Ferguson in the first four rounds of the draft.

It was a surprising approach for a franchise that was seemingly angling for a Super Bowl.

The Cowboys also failed to address their quarterback depth behind Prescott, opting to stick with journeyman Cooper Rush as the backup.

While the Cowboys have been publicly committed to Rush, they do have options to explore if Prescott is out closer to the six-to-eight-week timeline.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph are both trade candidates, while former Carolina Panthers superstar signal-caller Cam Newton is a free agent.

If a Prescott return in four weeks is a legitimate possibility, however, the Cowboys may be more willing to go with Rush until he comes back.