Former Super Bowl champion apologizes to Dak Prescott after calling out Cowboys QB for quitting

When NFL analyst James Jones initially called out Dak Prescott for not "fighting to play" through his hamstring injury, the former Super Bowl champion quickly voiced his criticism. However, after learning more about the severity of Prescott's ailment, Jones has now issued a heartfelt apology to the Dallas signal-caller.

Jones' initial comments came after the Cowboys revealed that Prescott would be headed to injured reserve due to a partial hamstring avulsion - an injury where the muscle is partially torn from the bone. At the time, Jones expressed doubts about Prescott's drive on FS1's The Facility.

"I do not believe that he fought to play. I do not believe that he's fighting to be out there."

However, after gaining deeper understanding of the nature of the injury, Jones changed his mind. After all, a half avulsion has no explicit recovery timetable like typical hamstring strains do.

"Now that I know the severity of the injury and it being off the bone, my bad, because I did jump the gun. I did not have the reports. I did not know the injury. I'm going off of my experience with the injury, my experience of how it happened, all that now I know the severity of injury. Mine wasn't off the bone, all right. Dak Prescott, you seen my tweet. My bad dog."

This reversal by Jones reflects the difficult reality injured NFL players face, as well as the pressures of performing through them. Quarterbacks in particular are often expected to play with injuries because their absence can greatly affect a team's fortunes. Furthermore, Prescott has been badly injured in the past and now the Cowboys will have to keep their season afloat without him.

What Prescott’s Hamstring Injury Means for Dallas' Season

Dallas Cowboys v Atlanta Falcons - Source: Getty

Prescott's hamstring issue comes at a tough time for the Cowboys, who have now lost three games in a row. They are three games behind both Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles in their division. With the star quarterback probably going on injured reserve, the attention will turn to backup Cooper Rush and how well he is able to fill in for a team that lost its offensive leader.

A rival NFL executive said Dallas' troubles this season have been compounded due to the lack of a running game, thereby putting too much responsibility on Prescott to move the offense.

"They don't have a run game. They're throwing the ball (too much). They have to throw the ball early because they have a run game that defenses don't respect," the executive told The Athletic.

This lack of balance results in "boom or bust games" for Prescott, says the executive, with turnovers and poor defense periodically dooming his performances entirely. Letting running back Tony Pollard exit in free agency without getting a good replacement has been the main cause of a poor run game.

Rush is an NFL journeyman who has shown the ability to play well in relief of Prescott but is unproven as a starter over an extended period of time. The next few weeks loom large for the Cowboys as they look to remain relevant in the playoff picture.