Even having Dak Prescott at the helm for most of Sunday night's opener against the Buccaneers, the Cowboys' offense fell all over itself.
After absorbing three blows to his throwing hand, Dak Prescott exited Dallas' 19-3 loss with six minutes left. Cooper Rush finished the game in place of Prescott, who will not play in the next games, as reported by CBS Sports.
Prescott will undergo surgery for a fractured hand and miss many weeks, according to team owner Jerry Jones, who spoke to reporters after the game.
On multiple plays in the second half, the QB's hand made contact with Bucs defenders, including a follow-through that hit pass rusher, Shaq Barrett.
How Severe Is Prescott's Surgery?
According to ProFootballTalk, he was examined by team doctor Dan Cooper before going to the training room to get X-rays.
Team owner Jerry Jones informed reporters that Prescott's throwing hand got hurt above the thumb and behind the joint.
After the game, Prescott told the media: "I thought it was a jammed finger but I couldn't grip the ball. ... I was told it was (a) much cleaner (break) then it could've been. ... Obviously it's not what you wanna hear. It's not the worst thing that's happened to me. It's just another bump in the road, and I will keep moving forward. ... Let's not panic. It's one game."
After suffering an ankle injury earlier in the week, Prescott entered Sunday's Week 1 game on the injury report. His late-game exit occurred a year after his remarkable recovery from both ankle and shoulder problems ahead of the 2021 season.
Dak Prescott claimed that at first, he assumed he had jammed a finger and dismissed the incident as minor. His X-rays, however, which were taken in the locker room, revealed a fracture.
According to head coach Mike McCarthy, Prescott's injury is "serious."
The Cowboys will start Cooper Rush as quarterback against the Cincinnati Bengals the following week.
The team's third quarterback, Will Grier, is presently a member of the practice squad.
When Prescott was out with a right calf strain last season, Rush started and won his first game. After taking over for Prescott against Tampa Bay, he completed 7 of 13 throws for 64 yards, according to ESPN.
In the 20-16 victory over the Vikings, he completed two touchdown passes and passed for 325 yards.
Unacceptable Behavior by Fans
One video that surfaced on social media appeared to show garbage being thrown by fans at Prescott at the AT&T Stadium as he left the field to return to the locker room for medical attention, Fox News reported.
Chad Johnson, a former NFL star, posted on Twitter about Dak Prescott injury: "This is unacceptable, you're supposed to love your players especially your QB."
It’s Week 1 and Cowboys fans booed and threw trash at Dak Prescott as he headed back to the locker room with an injury pic.twitter.com/h98iAOZoXc
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 12, 2022
Before leaving the game, Prescott was 14 for 29 with 134 passing yards and an interception.
Prescott expressed his disappointment about his latest injury, but he keeps optimistic about his recovery.
"I wanted to be able to respond and not necessarily having that opportunity for several weeks. Yeah, it's unfortunate, but I'll do what I've always done anytime adversity comes. Take it on head first, and I'll give my best, and I'm sure I'll come out of this better," he said.
