A wild first Sunday of the 2022 NFL season was punctuated by devastating news for the Dallas Cowboys on the injury front.
Team owner Jerry Jones revealed after his team's Week 1 defeat at the hands of the Buccaneers that veteran quarterback Dak Prescott would need surgery to repair a hand injury and was expected to miss several games. Subsequent reports indicated Prescott would be out 6-8 weeks.
The news came after Prescott and his offense looked out of sorts and ineffective against Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old two-time Pro Bowler exited late in the fourth quarter after his throwing hand was banged up by Bucs defenders on two separate plays.
Prescott's injury sent shockwaves through NFL journalists and fans, many of which predictably saw the development as a potential death knell to the Cowboys' playoff hopes.
Prescott, for his part, tried to keep the setback in its proper perspective, telling reporters after the game that it's not the biggest obstacle he's had to overcome:
But many users on social media weren't so sure:
Many others wondered whether 49ers backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could be a potential trade target for the Cowboys, who turned to seldom-used journeyman Cooper Rush after Prescott left Sunday night's game:
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