The NFL world paused October 11th when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went down with a severe ankle injury against the New York Giants. During a third-quarter scramble, Prescott suffered a gruesome injury when his right ankle got caught beneath a defender and the turf.

Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that required immediate surgery. The injury occurred with 6 minutes and 33 seconds left to play in the third quarter. Prescott scrambled for a nine-yard gain before being brought down by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan. Instantly, something didn’t seem right as Prescott was seen holding his leg in the air in visible pain following the tackle. 

Prescott exited the game on a cart, with his right leg in an air cast, and in tears. He was later taken to a nearby hospital where he would have his surgery to clean out the wound and repair the fracture. Prescott was having a career year for the Cowboys as he still leads the league in passing yards with 1856. 

The Dallas Cowboys sit atop the NFC East with a 2-3 record and will have to finish the season without their star quarterback. Following Prescott’s early exit, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton came in and finished off the Cowboys game. Dalton finished the game with 111 yards and led Dallas down the field in the closing seconds to kick the game-winning field goal. 

Dalton signed with Dallas in early May amid Prescott’s contract negotiations with the team. Dallas and Prescott were never able to ink a long-term deal, which forced Prescott to play this season under the franchise tag. Prescott, who had been one of the most durable players in the NFL since his rookie season, opted to sign the franchise tag over the long term deal offered by Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones. This decision showed Prescott’s willingness to bet on himself in hopes of getting the contract he felt he deserved. 

Prescott is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. Back in 2013, he lost his mother to a long battle with colon cancer. Prescott, who was attending Mississippi State, turned down other universities to stay close to his mother as she battled cancer. Earlier this year, Prescott lost his brother, Jace, due to suicide. Before the season, Prescott said he had been dealing with depression following his brother’s death. 

The Cowboys, who have been struggling with injuries all year, have entered week six without their best player. Andy Dalton now finds himself under center as the Cowboys new starting quarterback. He takes over an offense that is fully loaded with weapons, one of those weapons being a star running back Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot, who was taken in the same draft as Prescott, is now expected to take a much larger role to take the pressure off the Cowboys new starting quarterback. For now, the Cowboys sit atop the NFC East with a 2-3 record just half a game ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles. As of right now, the division is wide open and ready for the taking.