Dak Prescott’s Devastating Ankle Injury Once Again Shows Fleeting Nature Of NFL Greatness

In a world full of dystopian uncertainty, we could count on Dak Prescott’s excellence every Sunday — for five weeks, anyway. His devastating ankle injury once again shows the fleeting nature of NFL greatness.

In the third quarter of the Dallas Cowboys’ 37-34 victory over the New York Giants Sunday, Prescott tucked the football under his arms and raced forward to the Giants’ 18-yard line for a nine-yard gain. It was a seemingly designed quarterback draw and brought the Cowboys to the red zone. It was also a fairly conventional play by Prescott’s standards, considering he was averaging more than 422 passing yards per week.

As you know by now, the run ended in gruesome fashion. Prescott’s right ankle twisted awkwardly after a tackle from Giants cornerback Logan Ryan. It was literally turned in the wrong direction.

Prescott exited the field on a cart with tears in his eyes, raising his fist towards the sky.

Prescott underwent successful surgery Sunday night to repair the compound fracture and dislocation in his right ankle, and now the road to recovery begins. His rehab is expected to take four to six months, sources told ESPN.

Playing under the franchise tag, Prescott was setting himself up for a record payday next offseason. Dallas could not agree on a new contract with Prescott this year, with the two sides reportedly disagreeing about length. Prescott wanted a shorter deal, whereas the Cowboys wanted to sign him for longer.

Prescott bet on himself, and through four weeks, it was working exceptionally well. He leads the NFL with 1,856 passing yards, and became the first player in league history to record 450 yards or more in three straight contests. He racked up 1,690 passing yards through the first four weeks of the season, which is the most in NFL history.

The Cowboys were enjoying another strong offensive performance on Sunday, and wound up winning the game with Andy Dalton under center. Dallas even scored a touchdown on the drive in which Prescott had gotten hurt.

The game must go on.

“We are all heartbroken for Dak and this very disappointing injury,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.

It’s unlikely this will be a career-ending injury for Prescott. Defensive end Connor Barwin and wide receiver Allen Hurns returned to play after dislocating their ankles. Though Washington quarterback Alex Smith was out of action for two years — and coincidently, returned to the field on Sunday — he suffered a broken tibia and fibula, and then was battling a life-threatening infection. Doctors performed 17 surgeries on Smith over the two-year span.

Recent NFL history is rife with stars returning after devastating injuries. Tom Brady, J.J. Watt and Adrian Peterson all came back and excelled after tearing their ACLs, for example.

But to state the obvious: Prescott has a long road ahead of him. There’s a chance he may not be as mobile or willing to run, which would negatively impact his value.

Since Prescott is playing under the franchise tag, he will receive his full salary of $31.4 million. Assuming his recovery proceeds, it makes sense for him to play under the franchise tag next season, too. Prescott would earn $37.7 million for the 2021 season.

That is a lot of money, and with a successful campaign, Prescott would once again be setting himself up for a nine-figure payday. If Prescott played under the franchise tag for two seasons, he would collect $69.1 million.

But after an injury like that, nothing is certain. There is a reason why the average NFL career only lasts around 3.3 years.

This season, most of the focus has been placed on the risks of playing football through the coronavirus pandemic. The New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans had their games postponed this weekend following more positive tests, causing the NFL to undergo a massive schedule realignment.

Prescott’s injury is a brutal reminder, however, that playing football always comes with immense physical risk. A plethora of star players have already been injured this season, likely due to the lack of a preseason and offseason workouts.

Every Sunday, NFL players risk their physical wellbeing. Injuries can abruptly end careers and seasons.

In Prescott’s case, it’s ended his sensational season. There was always a chance this would happen. Heartbreak is one awkward tackle away.

It is the constant drumbeat of the NFL season, even during a global pandemic.


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