Gratitude is important in trying times, and Prescott certainly has his fair share of experience with difficult stretches. He suffered a season-ending ankle injury while playing under the franchise tag in 2020, sending the Cowboys to a 6-10 finish before signing a four-year, $160 million extension in 2021.
This time around, one season into his new four-year, $240-million deal, a hamstring injury ended his year. Two of the three tendons that connect the hamstring to the pelvis tore from the bone, and a third was hanging by little more than a thread. Prescott said even basic movements — the kind that the average human makes in a day — worsened the injury, confirming his worst fears.
“It started to lift off the bone even more,” Prescott said. “That one was doing all the work, and now it was compromised. Hell, I had a week of not even playing football, just walking and normal movement and that was tearing it.”
Last season, Prescott made a solid case for NFL MVP for most of the campaign, finishing first in passing touchdowns (36), second in passer rating (105.9) and third in passing yards (4,516) as the leader of a Cowboys team that won the NFC East before being upset by the Green Bay Packers on Super Wild Card Weekend.
This season was supposed to be the bounce-back campaign for Dallas, a redemption year with the goal of finishing the job it had started in 2023. Instead, the Cowboys have collapsed, limping to a 3-5 start before losing Prescott to the hamstring injury in Week 9.
“It’s been a tough year personally with my emotions because it’s a roller coaster,” Prescott said. “It’s truly been ups and downs. I would say riding a wave I’m constantly preaching about not riding.
“Off the field, it’s been some of the most joyous times I ever could have imagined, dreamed of. Having a child, getting engaged, starting a family. But then on the football field, it’s probably been as tough of a season as I’ve ever had. I’d probably say the toughest.”