Why isn't Dak Prescott playing tonight vs Bengals? Cowboys QB's injury status explored

A lot was expected of these Dallas Cowboys in 2024 but after 13 weeks of football, it's more than clear that whatever they did in the summer wasn't enough. In a year where multiple contenders were loading up on talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys chose to stand pat, a gamble that clearly hasn't paid off.

As they get ready to host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, they will once again have to do so without the services of Dak Prescott, who will be in street clothes tonight. Prescott underwent season-ending surgery in the second week of November, closing a pretty uneventful year with the Cowboys.

NFL: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys - Source: Imagn

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Why isn't Dak Prescott playing tonight?

On November 12, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced that Prescott would undergo season-ending surgery to repair his hamstring. Before the announcement was made, the hope was that Prescott would only miss a couple of weeks and return to lead the Cowboys at the business end of the season.

Per NFL dot com, the injury Prescott suffered in Week 9 was initially diagnosed as a partial tendon avulsion, an injury that sees the hamstring pulled off the bone.

The Cowboys, 3-6 at the time, decided to take the long-term approach and shut Prescott down for the season. His injury was the latest in a long line of setbacks for the Cowboys this year. All of Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, Demarcus Lawrence, Brandin Cooks, Sam Williams, Jake Ferguson and Marshawn Kneeland have missed multiple games this season, giving the Cowboys little chance at getting into a rhythm.

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Are the Dallas Cowboys out of the playoffs?

Mathematically, neither the Cowboys nor the Bengals are out of the playoffs just yet, though their chances are next to slim. The 5-7 Cowboys are essentially the 12th seed in the NFC with all of the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and LA Rams ahead of them.

Per ESPN Stats, a win tonight would bump the Cowboys' playoff chances to 2% whereas the Bengals will improve, so to speak, their chances to 3% with a win on Monday Night Football.