Owners Not Expected To Address Dan Snyder’s Ownership Status At Meetings
As the NFL and House Oversight Committee’s separate investigations into Dan Snyder and his franchise’s workplace conduct persist, the subject of the longtime Washington owner’s potential ouster continues to come up.
A “growing consensus” exists in some ownership circles that removing Snyder from his post would be the best course of action for the NFL, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. This consensus has certainly formed among NFL followers and many fans of Snyder’s franchise, but the embattled leader’s fellow owners are the only figures who count here. Twenty-four votes are necessary for this monumental step to take place.
This follows a Washington Post report that indicated some owners are warming to the idea of forcing Snyder to sell his franchise, but reaching the 24-vote threshold is another matter entirely. But that historic prospect has moved closer to the NFL radar than it was a year ago, Florio adds. And, as this once-unthinkable scenario gains steam, Snyder is going on the offensive.
Many owners would like to see Snyder out, according to ESPN.com’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson, but the 57-year-old Commanders owner is believed to have hired firms to investigate other owners and Roger Goodell for the purposes of gathering dirt — in the event a vote becomes a genuine possibility.
Snyder has authorized investigations of “at least six” owners, per ESPN.com, including Jerry Jones, who has been a longtime defender of his fellow NFC East owner. Furthermore, Snyder has reached out to Jones for support in recent weeks — in an effort to prevent the owners from removing him — only the Cowboys owner has distanced himself from his peer. Snyder has “lost Jerry,” an executive told ESPN.com, and this explosive report indicates the Dallas owner has said he is not sure he can protect Snyder any longer. Investigations of this sort are not new for Snyder, who was believed to have conducted shadow investigations on former employees.
As of now, the owners are not planning to formally discuss the Snyder matter. The next round of owners’ meetings — set for next week in New York — does not have a Snyder item on the docket, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports (on Twitter). While that obviously does not stop owners from addressing the Snyder situation privately, they are not preparing any votes yet. Part of the reason no vote is imminent: removing one owner opens the door to a future in which this drastic step could be taken against another, Armando Salguero of Outkick notes.
Counting Snyder scandals is difficult at this point. The one that produced the current circumstances came in 2021, when an NFL investigation into Washington’s workplace culture led to Snyder being fined $10MM and ceding day-to-day control of his franchise to his wife Tanya. Despite last year’s development being aimed at leading Snyder away from the team — a de facto suspension — Snyder denied he was suspended and has been around the team at points during his ensuing controversies.
The NFL changed course on a plan to have that investigation produce a written report, leading to the Oversight Committee’s probe and the biggest set of problems to hit Snyder during his ownership tenure. Snyder recently attempted to again shift blame to former team president Bruce Allen, via an attorney letter to Committee chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, according to the Washington Post’s Liz Clarke, Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala. The Committee deemed Snyder’s previous attempts to paint Allen as the architect of a toxic workplace culture, partially by citing Allen’s emails that ended up leading to Jon Gruden‘s Raiders exit, as scapegoating.
The Commanders denied the accuracy of ESPN’s report, one that also invited questions about team president Jason Wright‘s true authority to go about repairing the team’s culture. The Commanders’ statement (via The Athletic’s Ben Standig, on Twitter) called the report a “two-year misinformation campaign to coerce the sale of the team.” Snyder will not accept being forced to sell, according to the report. The Snyder situation may look a bit different after recent NBA developments. After a lengthy investigation into Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver led to his suspension; Sarver has begun the process of selling his teams.
Washington, which made five Super Bowl appearances during a 20-year span from 1972-1991, has seen its status within the NFL nosedive under Snyder. The team has three 10-win seasons since Snyder’s 1999 purchase and has yet to secure back-to-back playoff berths during this period.
Panthers Fire Matt Rhule; Steve Wilks Named Interim HC
In a move which comes as little surprise at this point, the Panthers have fired head coach Matt Rhule, the team announced on Monday. Defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks will replace him on an interim basis.
Talk of Rhule being on the hot seat began at the onset of the 2022 season, his third with the team. It was at that point that he was able to make significant strides at both Temple and Baylor, leading to expectations that he would be able to do the same along a similar timeline in the NFL. Instead, the team has started the season 1-4, dropping his overall coaching record to 11-27. 
Offensive struggles have been at the heart of Carolina’s performances under Rhule. The team has ranked no higher than 24th in the league in scoring during his tenure, something which some hoped would turn around this season with the acquisition of quarterback Baker Mayfield and a return to health from running back Christian McCaffrey. The unit has underperformed in 2022, however.
That led to increased speculation that a mid-season firing could take place. Owner David Tepper had insisted on remaining patient with the 47-year-old, though, as recently as late September. Two losses since have been marked by further underwhelming performances, and reports of tension between Rhule and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. The fact that Mayfield played part of yesterday’s game against the 49ers on an injured left foot did little to help his or Rhule’s job security.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Rhule had the option to leave Carolina in favor of a return to the college ranks, but chose to stay. Now, he will likely be among the top candidates to fill a number of openings which currently exist at high-profile programs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds (via Twitter) that Rhule is still owed more than $40MM on the seven-year, $62MM contract he signed upon arrival in Charlotte.
With Rhule gone, the Panthers will move forward with Wilks heading the staff. A presence on Carolina’s sidelines from 2012-17, the 53-year-old spent the following season as head coach of the Cardinals. His tenure there lasted only one year, however, after the team went 3-13. The nature of his dismissal from Arizona led to Wilks joining Brian Flores’ ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and several clubs.
He spent 2019 as the Browns’ defensive coordinator, then one year removed from coaching. In 2021, Wilks was the DC at Missouri, before returning to the Panthers for this campaign. He will now have the remainder of the 2022 season to try and orchestrate a turnaround, while auditioning for the full-time role of head coach. On that point, Rapoport adds that Wilks will be given “serious consideration” for a permanent posting (video link).
The performance of Wilks and the rest of the team will now be worth watching over the coming months. Regardless of their ability to turn the season around, the Rhule era has officially ended after less than three seasons.
Broncos CB Ronald Darby Out For Season
The fallout from the Broncos’ ugly Week 5 loss continues. After leaving the Colts matchup early, Ronald Darby will not be back for his team this season. The veteran cornerback suffered an ACL tear, Nathaniel Hackett confirmed Friday.
This news comes hours after word of Garett Bolles‘ broken leg. The Broncos are closing the door on their left tackle playing again this season as well. Bolles will not come back from the lower-leg fracture he sustained late in Thursday night’s game. Considering the injuries the team has already encountered, this is becoming quite the toll for a squad amid a rocky start.
Part of Denver’s 2021 secondary overhaul, Darby joined the team as a midlevel free agent. The former Bills, Eagles and Washington corner signed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Broncos in March 2021. He joined Kyle Fuller and Pat Surtain II as new corner investments in Denver last year. Darby and Surtain have operated as the Broncos’ starting outside corners this season. The former will soon join Justin Simmons and Randy Gregory as Denver defensive starters on IR. While the latter two will be back, Darby being shut down will test the Broncos’ Surtain-fronted cornerback corps.
Injuries have been a problem for Darby throughout his career. Most notably, he suffered an ACL tear during his second Eagles season (2018). Darby’s Eagles tenure started off on the wrong foot as well; he dislocated an ankle in September 2017. While Darby re-emerged to be part of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl-winning defense, his 2018 ACL tear affected his free agency value. He settled for a one-year, $6.5MM accord in 2019 and then signed a one-year, $3MM deal with Washington in 2020. Darby, who did not miss a game in 2020, scored $19.5MM guaranteed from the Broncos last year.
Darby, 28, will end his second Broncos season with 18 combined games missed. He battled hamstring trouble last season but started the 11 games he played. The former Bills second-rounder was faring well to start this season, helping a stout Broncos defense minimize opposing offenses (while Denver’s offense scuffles through a rough acclimation period). But this injury will cloud Darby’s future with the team.
The Broncos can save $10MM by releasing Darby in 2023, when he is set to count $13MM toward their cap. The team will likely get an extensive look at rookie Damarri Mathis, who replaced Darby against the Colts. A fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, Mathis moved into position as the Broncos’ top backup corner after third-year player Michael Ojemudia suffered a preseason injury. Ojemudia, who missed most of 2021 with a hamstring ailment, remains on IR.
As of Friday, the following Broncos starters are on IR or have missed multiple games: Darby, Bolles, safety Justin Simmons, running back Javonte Williams, outside linebacker Randy Gregory and right guard Quinn Meinerz. Both members of Denver’s would-be right tackle competition — Tom Compton, Billy Turner — have not played yet this season, either. Hackett said Josey Jewell, who missed time earlier this season, is now week-to-week with a knee injury as well. Thursday’s round of setbacks will make the Broncos’ uphill battle steeper.
Buccaneers WR Cole Beasley To Retire
Cole Beasley played in two Buccaneers games since joining their practice squad in September, but the veteran wide receiver is changing course. The productive slot receiver plans to retire immediately, per Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
This abrupt retirement will end an 11-year career spent with the Cowboys, Bills and Bucs. Beasley, 33, spent the offseason looking for a new team and sent Tom Brady Instagram DMs about joining the Bucs. So it is obviously surprising to see him call it quits soon after arriving in Tampa. Beasley being separated from his Texas-stationed family led to this retirement call, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets.
Other teams besides the Bucs expressed interest in Beasley. The Commanders, Giants and Panthers pursued Beasley since his Bills release, but the Bucs — dealing with a wide receiver shortage at the time — won out. Beasley caught four passes for 17 yards during his two-game Bucs cameo. The team’s receiver situation has improved as well, which likely would have meant less time for Beasley going forward. Mike Evans re-emerged after his one-game suspension, and injured wideouts Chris Godwin and Julio Jones played against the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Beasley will certainly be better remembered for his time in Dallas and Buffalo. The Cowboys put the SMU product to work as their primary slot receiver for most of the 2010s, with Beasley being the team’s top receiving constant outside of Dez Bryant during that period. The Cowboys extended Beasley on a four-year, $13.6MM deal in March 2015 and saw him produce career-best (at the time) numbers a year later to help Dak Prescott earn Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim during a 13-3 season. Beasley caught 75 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns that year.
As Dallas’ Bryant partnership came to an end following the 2017 season, Beasley remained in place as the team transitioned to its Amari Cooper-fronted attack. Preparing for a Cooper payday, the Cowboys let Beasley walk in 2019. Eager to upgrade Josh Allen‘s receiver situation, the Bills paid up for Beasley (four years, $29MM) and John Brown that year. While the latter topped 1,000 yards in 2019, Beasley played a pivotal role in aiding Allen as well. From 2019-20, Beasley totaled 1,471 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, transitioning to a role as Stefon Diggs‘ sidekick when the Bills swung their blockbuster trade with the Vikings in 2020.
Last season did not bring as much success, and Beasley became a controversial figure as he spoke out regularly against COVID-19 vaccines. Beasley matched his 82 catches from 2020 but checked in at a career-low 8.5 yards per reception. Beasley contracted COVID in December and missed a game, joining many thrust into that position during the pandemic, and the Bills made him a cap casualty ahead of the 2022 league year. The Bills moved on with younger receivers, and Beasley’s retirement further reduces the number of 30-something wideouts left in the NFL. Fellow 2021 Bills contributor Emmanuel Sanders, 35, preceded Beasley by retiring a few weeks ago.
Beasley will wrap his career as one of this era’s top slot targets. For his career, Beasley caught 554 passes for 5,726 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Joey Bosa To Undergo Surgery, Headed To IR
OCTOBER 2: Bosa, who sustained a groin tear, is expected to miss eight to 10 weeks, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes. Schefter adds that Bosa is not likely to return to his elite level of performance this season.
SEPTEMBER 28: After Brandon Staley expressed concern about Joey Bosa‘s groin injury, an IR trip appeared in play. The Chargers are taking that route with their perennial Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Bosa is heading to IR, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (on Twitter). While this will knock the seventh-year defender out for at least four games, a longer absence is likely in store. Bosa will undergo core muscle surgery in Philadelphia, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Chargers do expect him back later this season, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com suggesting a possible two-month timetable (Twitter link). But this will be a difficult setback for the team’s retooled defense.
The Bolts’ $27MM-per-year sack artist left the team’s Week 3 game early. Left tackle Rashawn Slater joined Bosa in doing so. Slater is expected to miss the rest of the season with a biceps tear. Backup wide receiver Jalen Guyton also sustained a torn ACL during the Chargers’ loss to the Jaguars. These maladies occurred during a game in which Pro Bowlers Corey Linsley, Keenan Allen and J.C. Jackson missed due to injury. Justin Herbert, of course, played through a rib cartilage fracture he suffered in Week 2.
This is a familiar development for the Chargers, who have dealt with extensive injury trouble in several recent seasons. It comes at a critical point on the franchise’s timeline. Herbert is eligible for an extension in January, making the 2022 season perhaps his last on a rookie deal. Given where the quarterback market went this year, a deal that surpasses $50MM on average should be expected. The Chargers aggressively bolstered their roster this offseason, devoting considerable resources — at Staley’s request — to upgrading their defense. Bosa being out undercuts that effort.
The Chargers acquired Khalil Mack to team with Bosa and form one of the top edge-rushing duos in recent memory. Mack has returned from the foot injury that ended his 2021 season early, but he will have to go it alone for a bit. For Bosa, this represents another even-year setback. Bosa, 27, missed four games as a rookie in 2016 (hamstring), was shut down for nine during the 2018 season (foot) and missed four more contests in 2020 (two concussions). Still, Bosa has received four Pro Bowl invites and has four double-digit sack seasons.
Herbert, Mack and Co. will need to steady this suddenly rocky season during Bosa’s absence. Allen, Jackson and Linsley are not on IR and should be expected back soon. Though, Bosa and Slater’s absences make Los Angeles’ lineup less formidable.
Second-year rusher Chris Rumph, a fourth-round pick, was Bosa’s primary replacement against the Jags. The Chargers also have the option of using hybrid linebacker Kyle Van Noy in more of a rushing role. The Patriots often went to this well. Van Noy totaled 21.5 sacks with New England and tallied 17.5 with the Pats and Dolphins from 2019-21.
Chargers LT Rashawn Slater Likely Out For Season
The Chargers’ offensive line was dealt a massive blow during yesterday’s loss. Left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a torn biceps tendon, and will likely miss the remainder of the season, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). 
It was already known that the 23-year-old was eyeing a lengthy absence in the aftermath of the team’s game against the Jaguars. This represents the worst-case scenario after today’s testing, though, and could be a crippling loss for Los Angeles’ offensive front.
The No. 13 overall pick last year, Slater was an immediate full-time starter on the blindside as a rookie. He entered the league with questions about whether he would be better suited on the inside at least to begin his career. He answered those rather definitively, earning Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors.
The Northwestern alum generated a PFF grade of 83.6 last year, and his play led to similar ratings so far this season. The Chargers have taken significant steps in recent years to protect quarterback Justin Herbert, including the selection of Slater and signing of center Corey Linsley last offseason. The team invested another first-round pick in Zion Johnson this April to man the right guard spot.
With those two in place, Los Angeles should be better-equipped to handle a loss like this than in years past. Still, replacing Slater with, in all likelihood, Storm Norton, will notably weaken the team’s o-line. This news also marks another unfortunate update on the injury front early in the campaign.
Reserve tackle Andrew Trainer is on IR. More significantly, cornerback J.C. Jackson has only played in one contest so far, after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. Herbert is currently dealing with the rib cartilage injury he suffered last week, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Yesterday, four-time Pro Bowler Joey Bosa suffered a groin injury which will necessitate further tests (Twitter link via Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport). Regardless of the length of the pass rusher’s absence, the Chargers’ 2022 prospects have taken a major hit.
Bills S Micah Hyde Done For Season
9:20pm: Poyer is not expected to play tomorrow, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). The news confirms what was feared about the status of his foot injury, and means that Buffalo will indeed be without both members of their highly-touted safety duo against the Dolphins.
10:40am: The Bills have suffered a major blow to their secondary. Safety Micah Hyde will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury, agent Jack Bechta announced on Twitter. The veteran is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2023 season. Hyde will land on injured reserve later today.
Hyde suffered a neck injury during Monday’s win over the Titans. The injury limited him to only 64 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 2, and he was held out of practice all this week. While Hyde had already been ruled out for Week 3 prior to today’s news, there wasn’t any hint that the injury would ultimately sideline him for the entire 2022 campaign.
While the Bills have been rolling through the first two weeks of the season, it’ll be hard for them to make up the absence of Hyde, who has established himself as one of the team’s defensive leaders. The veteran had one of the best seasons of his career in 2021, finishing with 74 tackles, five interceptions, and 10 passes defended. He finished the season ranked fifth among 92 qualifying safeties on Pro Football Focus. Through one-plus games in 2022, the 31-year-old was still plenty productive, with PFF ranking him 21st among 67 qualifying safeties. Hyde totaled seven tackles between his two appearances.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe tweets that fourth-year safety Jaquan Johnson will likely slide into the starting lineup in place of Hyde. Johnson saw time in 44 games between his first three seasons in the NFL, but he was limited to only one start while mostly playing a special teams role. He’s already seen a jump in playing time in 2022, with the 26-year-old compiling three tackles through two games. The Bills don’t have much else for depth at strong safety, with Jordan Poyer and 2021 sixth-round pick Damar Hamlin serving as the other safeties on the roster.
Speaking of, the Bills are also awaiting the status of Poyer for tomorrow’s contest against the Dolphins, as the safety is currently dealing with a foot injury and is “very much questionable,” per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (on Twitter). If Poyer is forced to sit out tomorrow’s game, the Bills will be eyeing an inexperienced safeties corps heading into a showdown with a Miami offense that scored six touchdowns last weekend.
49ers’ Trey Lance Undergoes Ankle Surgery
2:47pm: In a statement, the team confirmed that the procedure was successful in repairing a “fibula fracture and ligament disruption.” The 49ers are confident that Lance will be able to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2023 season.
1:54pm: One day after his season came to an abrupt end, Trey Lance is beginning the recovery process which will allow him to get back on the field. The 49ers quarterback is undergoing surgery to repair his fractured and dislocated ankle today, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets. 
Lance was carted off the field during yesterday’s game against the Seahawks. The injury was immediately thought to be serious, and it was confirmed not long after that season-ending surgery would be required. Pelissero notes that the 22-year-old did not suffer a compound fracture, but that provides little in the way of consolation considering the blow this injury represents to his career arc and San Francisco’s QB plans.
2022 was meant to mark the beginning of Lance’s tenure as the undisputed starter, something which was signalled last April when the 49ers traded up to draft him third overall. Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo helped guide the team to the NFC title game last year, but was thought to be a key figure in the offseason’s quarterback market. A shoulder injury left San Francisco with few suitors outside of their division, however.
Ultimately, he stayed in San Francisco on a deal which greatly reduced his base salary but includes plenty of incentives. The fact that he has now once again become the No. 1 gives the 30-year-old significant earning potential. As detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Garoppolo could make $5.6MM based on playing time and victories, in addition to his $6.5MM base salary, which is fully guaranteed.
A repeat of last year’s success (along with that of the 2019 campaign, in which the 49ers went to the Super Bowl) cannot be ruled out, given Garoppolo’s track record. Still, he is scheduled to hit free agency this spring, while the 49ers will no doubt keep an eye on the recovery process of their presumed future franchise signal-caller.
Seahawks’ Jamal Adams To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
The quadriceps injury Jamal Adams suffered early in Week 1 will end his season. The veteran safety plans to undergo surgery to repair a torn quad tendon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Adams sought additional opinions from doctors this week, but the conclusion will bring a quick end to the former All-Pro defender’s sixth NFL season. The Seahawks will move Adams to IR, and Rapoport adds they are signing cornerback Teez Tabor off the Falcons’ practice squad (Twitter link).
This deals the Seahawks’ defense a major blow, and it continues a string of Adams unavailability since he was traded to Seattle in 2020. Adams, however, only missed four and five games, respectively, during the 2020 and ’21 seasons. This will be new territory. He played 15 snaps against the Broncos. Adams only missed two games during his three-season Jets tenure.
With Jets contract negotiations not progressing, the Seahawks stepped in with a monster trade offer to acquire the former top-10 pick. The Seahawks sent two first-round choices, a third-rounder and veteran safety Bradley McDougald to the Jets for Adams. After playing a fourth season on his rookie contract, Adams cashed in last year. The Seahawks’ decision to trade for the acclaimed blitzer and give him a then-market-topping extension has backfired to this point.
Adams’ $17.5MM extension last summer topped the safety market by more than $2MM (AAV-wise). Although Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James have since surpassed that deal, Adams is the highest-paid defender on Seattle’s defense and — post-Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner — the second-highest-paid player on the team. Seattle re-signed Quandre Diggs this offseason, giving the franchise two of the league’s top-10 highest-paid safeties. Diggs will have to go it alone for the season’s remainder.
While Adams is not regarded as a high-quality cover man, the Seahawks put him to work as a hybrid player over his first two seasons. After a 6.5-sack 2019 season with the Jets — an All-Pro campaign — Adams set a safety record with 9.5 sacks in his first Seahawks season, helping the team to the playoffs. Adams did not record a sack in 2021. Injuries have dogged him for much of his Pacific Northwest stay, however. Two shoulder surgeries have occurred since Adams arrived in Seattle, and he underwent multiple finger operations this offseason. The LSU alum’s finger issues have left him no longer able to make a fist with his left hand, and Adams said his shoulder trouble had him playing “with one arm for damn near two years.”
The Adams contract runs through 2025. He is due an $11MM base salary in 2023 and is in line to count $18.1MM on Seattle’s cap next year. Adams, 26, counts just $9.1MM this year. His 2024 and ’25 cap numbers come in at $23.6MM and $24.6MM, respectively.
Dak Prescott Undergoes Thumb Surgery
5:27pm: Prescott has undergone the thumb surgery, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The operation was successful, but the wait begins. Rather than acquire another quarterback, the Cowboys are sticking with Rush. The former UDFA has been Dallas’ primary backup since Tony Romo‘s 2017 retirement. Prescott is expected to attend the now-Rush-centered position meetings as he rehabs.
8:51am: The Cowboys suffered a significant loss on the scoreboard and the depth chart last night, as quarterback Dak Prescott left the game with a thumb injury. He will undergo surgery to address the issue, which ESPN’s Todd Archer reports is expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. As a result, Archer adds, Prescott will likely be placed on IR. 
During postgame availability, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that the injury is “significant.” Prescott, meanwhile, offered a somewhat encouraging update by saying that the fracture in his throwing hand “was much cleaner than it could have been.”
Nevertheless, the injury is a crushing blow for the Cowboys, whose offense already faced plenty of questions heading into last night. Left tackle Tyron Smith will be sidelined until at least December due to a torn hamstring, and the injuries to wideouts Michael Gallup and James Washington leave the team with few established pass-catchers. Overcoming those absences will be significantly more difficult without Prescott, who will be on the shelf for the second time in the past three seasons after an injury-free start to his career.
The two-time Pro Bowler was limited to five games by an ankle injury in 2020, but still landed a $40MM-per-year deal the following offseason. He played in 16 games last year, posting an 11-5 record while throwing for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns. Expectations were high for he and the team again in 2022, but things have changed dramatically in the span of one night.
“It’s very disappointing,” Prescott said, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com. “But injuries happen. You can’t necessarily control it. It’s just unfortunate… but I’ll do what I’ve always done any time adversity comes. Take it on headfirst, give it my best, and I’m sure I’ll come out of this thing better.”
Cooper Rush will now take over as Dallas’ starting QB; the former UDFA had made 11 appearances with the Cowboys before filling in for Prescott last night (but only one start). He, along with Will Grier, were temporarily let go of during roster cutdowns, but the team fully intended to keep both of them in the fold. Grier will likely be signed to the active roster from the practice squad, unless the Cowboys search for outside options to replace their signal-caller for the intermediate future.