FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are not putting quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve after surgery on his right thumb, leaving open the possibility that he could return in fewer than four games.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on the team’s flagship radio station that the team wants Prescott “to be a consideration for playing within the next four games.” That is the minimum number of games a player has to miss if placed on injured reserve.

“We feel very good after surgery, after listening to the medical people, that Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball real quick,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan.

Prescott had surgery Monday, a day after he got hurt in the fourth quarter of a season-opening 19-3 loss at home to Tampa Bay. He was following through after releasing a pass when his right hand bent awkwardly after making hard contact with the raised hands of rushing linebacker Shaq Barrett.

“We think he can come in and play. So, we don’t want to not have him out there practicing. We want him getting prepared,” Jones said. “We’ll see how he handles this thing, how it heals, mainly his strength, how he can grip the ball, what his status is. That’s not being an optimist. The proof is we got a good surgery, got good technique, and feel better about it than we did the other night.”

Cooper Rush finished the game in Prescott’s place and is expected to start Sunday’s home game against defending AFC champion Cincinnati. Jones said it was “unlikely” that the Cowboys would add a veteran quarterback, and instead would stick with backup quarterbacks Rush and Will Grier.

“Those guys know the offense well. They’ve had a lot of reps in it and consequently give us our best shot,” Jones said. “It’s unlikely that you have a veteran quarterback that could get back in here and be ready to play as well as those guys can play, even if you thought you might have a talent advantage.”

SEAHAWKS: Safety Jamal Adams will need surgery to repair a knee injury suffered in Monday night’s 17-16 win over Denver, Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday.

“Yeah, he’s hurt,” Carroll said. “I don’t know the extent of that yet, but I know it’s serious.”

Adams was hurt when he hit Denver quarterback Russell Wilson on a blitz in the second quarter. Carroll said after the game that Adams also hurt his quadriceps, saying it was “not a typical knee injury. His quadriceps tendon got damaged some tonight. He got hurt, so it’s a serious injury.”

CHIEFS: Coach Andy Reid criticized the field inside State Farm Stadium after two Kansas City players slipped on the turf and sustained injuries during a 44-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Harrison Butker’s plant foot slipped awkwardly during a kickoff early in the game, forcing the Chiefs to use safety Justin Reid for most of their kickoffs and extra points the rest of the way, while first-round pick Trent McDuffie hurt his hamstring when the young cornerback’s feet slipped during an otherwise impressive debut.

The Chiefs have a short turnaround before facing the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium, and that means it’s unlikely that either player will be on the field for an important AFC West showdown.

“It was a little loose. That’s what happens sometimes when you re-sod,” Reid said. “It’s part of the Butker injury and the McDuffie injury, and that’s unfortunate. The turf picked up, and I would tell you that did have something to do with it. If it didn’t, I’d tell you that, too. It’s not an excuse by any means. But you all see it when you watch the tape.”

The Cardinals have a unique natural grass field that essentially sits on a tray, allowing it to be slid out from under the domed stadium when it’s used for concerts and other events.

COLTS: Rodrigo Blankenship’s three-year run with the Indianapolis Colts ended when he was waived two days after slicing a 42-yard field goal to the right in overtime and sending two fourth-quarter kickoffs out of bounds.

The Colts wound up settling for a 20-20 tie at Houston – the franchise’s first in 40 years.

Blankenship will be replaced by either Chase McLaughlin or Lucas Havrisik on Sunday in Jacksonville The two kickers were signed to the practice squad and will spend this week fighting for the job Blankenship lost.

“I always tell our players and specialists it’s OK – everyone is expected to make a mistake,” special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said before the move was announced. “You’re going to have ups and downs in a game. It’s how fast can you respond and how fast can you self-correct it.”

The bespectacled Blankenship won’t get that chance – at least with the Colts.

He won the kicking job as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia in 2020, but after scoring 139 points in a strong rookie season, Blankenship struggled.

He hurt his hip before last year’s game at Baltimore and the ensuing kicking woes that day proved costly in an overtime loss. Blankenship never returned to the field afterward, missing 3 of 14 field-goal attempts and an extra point in five games before finishing the season on injured reserve.

Michael Badgley had the job for the rest of 2021, going 18 of 21 on field goals and making all 39 extra points. But Indy didn’t re-sign him in the offseason and Badgley instead wound up in Jacksonville. He was eventually cut and re-signed to the practice squad.

Blankenship then fended off a training camp challenge from undrafted rookie Jake Verity, who spent most of last season on Baltimore’s practice squad.

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

Sports Digest: Sea Dogs get wild 10-9 win in 11 innings to close in on a playoff spot

Next »

NBA notebook: Owner of Suns, Mercury suspended one year, fined $10 million