Cowboys fans try to come to grips with the emotions of the Dak Prescott injury

It was an image I’ll simply never forget.

https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1315427014086733829

Seeing Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in tears while being taken off the field at AT&T Stadium after suffering a compound ankle fracture is simply one of the hardest images I’ve had to emotionally process in my time following sports.

Prescott is the heart and soul of one of the most iconic sports franchises on the planet. He represents the star on his helmet better than any Cowboy in recent memory. As Dallas Cowboys quarterback, he is under as much scrutiny and prone to as much criticism as anyone in all of sports. He is still one of the most professional and focused players in the NFL. So seeing this happen to him stings. It stings a lot.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones provided a statement Sunday evening about the tragic injury to his franchise quarterback.

Jerry Jones on Dak Prescott’s injury: pic.twitter.com/xZn9onvwqq

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 12, 2020

While it’s certainly easy to agree with Jerry on acknowledging Dak’s toughness and how he’s seemingly better equipped than anyone for the grind it will take to mentally and physically get back on the field, it’s hard to not kind of have a sour taste in your mouth when thinking about the situation Prescott is now in because of tricky negotiations with the Jones family.

Prescott will now be without a contract for 2021 with just four and a half games on his 2020 resume and a major ankle injury in his recent history. Of course Dallas will be able to franchise tag him again or possibly even sign him to a long-term deal before then, but it seems unlikely that NOW would be the time that Dallas would be able to meet Prescott’s financial demands for a deal.

Aside from the money, it’s hard not to just absolutely feel terrible for Prescott as he now has to emotionally juggle this devastating injury along with the suicide of his brother earlier this year. At the end of the day, our favorite athletes are people too. Dak has had a tough 2020 and it’s going to be a long road back, but Cowboys fans around the world will be pulling for him to recover as quickly as possible.