The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2024 NFL season with high expectations, but a series of devastating injuries and inconsistent play led to a disappointing 7-9 record and an early offseason. Star quarterback Dak Prescott, who missed significant time himself due to a hamstring avulsion that required surgery, recently shared his thoughts on the team’s frustrating campaign.
“Nobody plans to lose. Nobody plans to have a losing season, to be in this position,” Prescott lamented in a postgame interview following the Cowboys’ 41-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. “You expect the playoffs every year. You expect to win this division and then to be in this place or whether it’s at home, playing against this team usually for the division. That’s not the case. Yeah, it’s frustrating.”
Injuries Derail Cowboys’ Season
The Cowboys were hit hard by the injury bug in 2024, with several key players missing significant time. In addition to Prescott’s hamstring issue, the team lost offensive lineman Zack Martin (ankle), defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee), and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) for multiple games.
Second-year linebacker Micah Parsons, who has only experienced making the playoffs in his young career, pointed to health as the biggest factor in the Cowboys’ struggles. “Coming off a devastating playoff loss and you say, ‘Hey, I’m just going to get the same team back and we kind of know what it’s going to look like, what the team’s going to be like.’ And you go into the season and devastating injuries across the board between CeeDee and Dak and Trevon. Just can’t catch a break.”
McCarthy’s Job Security in Question
Head coach Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys has been a hot topic throughout the season, as he entered the final year of his contract. Despite the team’s losing record, Prescott expressed his support for McCarthy and the challenges he faced with the numerous injuries.
“It’s tough to probably get your job done and do your job with all that hanging over your head. But credit to him, credit to his professionalism and really his coach’s style of being able to get guys being ready to play and go out there and finish and take pride in what we finish and what we put on tape.”
– Dak Prescott on Mike McCarthy
Owner Jerry Jones, who is typically vocal about the team’s performance, remained silent following the Week 17 loss to the Eagles. McCarthy’s job status will likely be a focal point of the offseason, as the Cowboys look to bounce back in 2025.
Young Players Remain Optimistic
Despite the disappointment of the 2024 season, young players like left guard Tyler Smith and linebacker Micah Parsons are determined to learn from this experience and come back stronger.
“As a competitor, I mean it just hurts,” Smith shared. “It hurts to have no dreams after Jan. 5, but I think we got to use this. I think every setback is a set up for a comeback. I truly do. and so just using this experience, feeding off of this. I never want to feel like this again.”
Parsons echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “I’m going to take that as a grain of salt and use that as motivation to go toward next year.”
Prescott’s Road to Recovery
As for Prescott, he is focused on his recovery and return to the field in 2025. The quarterback shared an update on his progress, stating, “Gained some strength in it, started to use it a little bit. Yeah, I’m probably a few weeks maybe a month from running, running. But got on the bike. So definitely doing some things, moving more.”
The Cowboys will need a healthy Prescott and a revitalized roster to compete in the always-tough NFC East next season. With key players returning from injury and the potential for offseason moves, Dallas will aim to put the frustrations of 2024 behind them and return to playoff contention in 2025.
