Dak Prescott's season-ending injury, while devastating, does not affect the Cowboys' plans for him, according to team owner Jerry Jones.
When asked how the compound fracture and ankle dislocation suffered by Prescott impacts Jones' feelings about the former fourth-round pick, Jones simply replied, "none."
"I was just so sorry for the circumstances," Jones said during a Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.
Prescott's 2020 is finished, but Jones said he expects him back for the latter portion of spring work. In times as uncertain as these, Jones seemed to find some sort of silver lining in the prognosis for Prescott.
"This is one that you can mend, come back and be as good as gold," Jones said, per USA Today's Jori Epstein.
When Prescott is available, Jones noted that as the franchise quarterback, his rushing attempts shouldn't be as prevalent. His Week 5 injury has proven protecting Prescott is equivalent to protecting the franchise, with Jones emphasizing being "very judicious" when calling for a Prescott carry in the future.
As for Prescott's looming contract situation, Jones sounded as committed as ever to retaining the quarterback for the long term. Instead of posturing over dollars, Jones admitted Prescott is all but invaluable to the future of the Cowboys.
"We've got to be reminded that to have a team, we've got to really manage how we dole out our resources," Jones said. "Dak is deserving of anything that you want to put on a piece of paper, relatively speaking. He's deserving of that. If you evaluate what he can do to help us win championships, you can see that it's there. Plus, he's a leader at the premier leader spot. We've got to make it work. So what am I saying? I'm saying exactly the same thing I said the last time I was asked about this before the season started. This is part of the game, the business and the contract part."
The Cowboys will be fine in the meantime, according to Jones, who said his team isn't interested in seeking outside help at the position. The signing of Andy Dalton has proven to be a wise one, providing the Cowboys with a viable veteran to step in and hopefully not miss a beat.
Dallas' offense hasn't been the issue in 2020, and Dalton showed Sunday he is more than capable of handling the task of leading the Cowboys.
But in a year in which everything seems less than guaranteed, Jones acknowledged the loss of Prescott does affect what the front office will expect from its team.
"This does impact expectations," Jones said. "On the other hand, this is a different year. If you ever had a year to approach things in an unorthodox way, this is it."
