A nightmare season is only getting worse for the Dallas Cowboys.
On a day when Ezekiel Elliott wasn’t allowed on the team flight, the highest-paid player in NFL history was ruled out mid-game and faces an uncertain future.
Dak Prescott had a tough day in Atlanta[/caption]
Dallas trailed the Atlanta Falcons 27-13 in the fourth quarter on Sunday.
But the real story wasn’t Elliott being benched and inactive for reportedly missing team meetings.
It was a potentially troublesome injury for quarterback Dak Prescott, who is making a whopping $60million a year but couldn’t play the full four quarters in another disappointing defeat.
Prescott was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Adding insult to the loss of a QB recently promised $240 million by Dallas, the Cowboys lost their third consecutive game on a day when Washington improved to 7-2 with rookie Jayden Daniels.
“Time for them to tank,” one fan tweeted.
“This guy can never seem to catch a break,” a second fan wrote.
“Bro threw in the towel,” a third fan posted.
And cameras caught Prescott delivering a rather frank assessment of how things are going for the Cowboys this season.
“We f****** suck”, Prescott appeared to say.
Prescott is losing on the field despite being the NFL’s highest-paid player[/caption]
He dealt with hand and hamstring injuries on Sunday[/caption]
Atlanta punished the Cowboys for four quarters[/caption]
Controversy and drama have shadowed the Cowboys all season.
While Jones has defended his position as the franchise’s owner and general manager, teammates have bickered on the sideline during games.
But Dallas’ 3-5 season reached a new low point on Sunday, when Elliott was made inactive after failing to support his team during the week.
That paled to the loss of Prescott, though.
He’s the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ offense and was rewarded by Jones — despite a lack of playoff success — with a historic contract just before the start of the season.
“The hand issue, the hamstring issue, and Dak Prescott is done for the game,” an announcer said.
Backup Cooper Rush took over Prescott, while wide receiver CeeDee Lamb eventually returned to the game after suffering injury.
Prescott is a long way from a big playoff win[/caption]
But even though Prescott is only 2-5 in the playoffs, he’s irreplaceable for the Cowboys.
Dallas has one of the NFL’s worst running games, making Prescott’s weekly success paramount.
Questions will now surround the future of Mike McCarthy as head coach.
With the trade deadline looming, Elliott could be dealt or simply released by the Cowboys, who foolishly believed they could recreate his rookie magic from almost a decade ago.
But even though Dallas is just 3-5 this season, the wealthiest pro franchise in the world is nothing without Prescott.
That’s why Jones chose to pay him $240 million at 31-years-old, since the Cowboys didn’t have any other legitimate options at the most important position in sports.
Dallas’ 2024 season is already on the verge of being over.
With $240 million promised to an aging QB who’s consistently disappointed in the playoffs and couldn’t finish Week 9, the nightmare could just be beginning for Jones and his sinking Cowboys.
