During a throw, Prescott’s hand was blocked by outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, with Prescott’s hand appearing to bend backwards.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott may not be out as long as initially expected after fracturing his thumb in a week one 19-3 loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

With about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Prescott’s throw was blocked by outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett. The two players hands’ made contact just after the ball was released, and Prescott’s throwing hand appears to bend backwards. 

It was determined shortly after that Prescott will require surgery, and underwent a procedure Monday night.  Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Prescott will not even need to be placed on injury reserve. 

“We won’t be putting him on IR [injured reserve],” Jones told a Dallas sports radio program . “Which means we want him to be in consideration for playing within the next four games.”

Initial reports put the quarterback out for 6-8 weeks before he’d be able to play again.  Prescott joined the Cowboys as a reserve QB in 2016, but was quickly promoted after veteran Tony Romo was injured in the pre-season.  Likewise, backups are stepping into Prescott’s cleats to fill his spot on the field for the next few weeks. 

“The people that are ready to play quarterback for us are the ones that played all pre-season — Cooper Rush and Will Grier,” Jones said.

Despite the injury, the realization that Prescott won’t be out as long as initially thought led to some relief for Jones.

“We feel better about it than we did Sunday night,” Jones said. 

During the game, Prescott and the Cowboys were unable to connect for a single touchdown, with their only points coming from kicker Brett Maher. Brady and the Bucs, on the other hand, put up three touchdowns, and one extra point. 

The Cowboys next game is Sept. 18 at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Thumb fractures are usually caused by a fall or a blow to the hand, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Some fractures can also be caused by strong muscle contractions when playing sports, specifically hockey, football, and skiing. 

It’s not clear specifically which part of the thumb Prescott hurt, or what kind of surgery he had on Monday. 

The usual time frame for a fractured thumb to fully heal is six to eight weeks, according to the U.K.’s National Health Service . However, more extreme cases can take as much as four months before full strength is returned to the appendage. 

When a thumb is fractured, like Prescott’s, the bone will likely need to be realigned. 

There are a few ways that a surgeon can go about this, the first by attaching pins and screws to the affected area internally, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons . The second is similar but involves an external fixation device, or a frame, for the metal to anchor to.  These are the cages or holsters you can sometimes see on serious injuries. 

A cast or a splint will also likely be required for as much as six weeks post surgery. But Prescott is unlikely to have to wear anything around his thumb for that long given his estimated recovery time. 

Chris Arnold is a Toronto-based writer.

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