The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a wild 34-30 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, but it came with a brief scare for Cowboys Nation. Star quarterback Dak Prescott had his right throwing hand wrapped after the game following a second-quarter play where his hand was accidentally stepped on by a defender. While fans held their breath, Prescott cleared the air during his post-game press conference, stating that it was just a little swollen and he is “perfectly fine”.

While Cowboys beat writer Nick Harris reports that Prescott is doing alright, it did not seem that way during the game. The rough treatment started right from the game’s very first snap. Former Cowboys linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., who was elevated from Houston’s practice squad just before kickoff, laid a late, questionable hit on Prescott right after he slid to protect himself. While no penalty flag was thrown, the cheap shot set a fiery, physical tone for the afternoon, proving Houston was out to rattle Dallas’s star quarterback early and often.

For any NFL quarterback, even minor swelling on the throwing hand is bad news. A stiff or swollen right hand messes up a passer’s grip, making it tough to snap off sharp throws or control ball velocity. While Prescott avoided a bone fracture this time, any lingering stiffness in his fingers could affect his throwing touch and accuracy over the next few weeks.

Despite dealing with an injury scare, Prescott delivered a solid performance against the Texans. He recorded 335 yards with one touchdown against them. He also took three sacks for 11 yards.

Interestingly, he wanted the game to happen that way.

“I want it like that, (with) the ball in my hands at the end of the game,” Prescott said, as per Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports via AOL. “I am thankful for that. Suppose you give me these games. I asked God, give me one more chance.”

“Thank my guys for going out there and blocking, CeeDee, George going out there making great catches. Can’t do it without any of those guys.”

The situation seemed scary, as Prescott already has a bad injury history. He broke and dislocated his right ankle back in October 2020. The injury ended his season and became a major setback in his career. He later suffered a right calf strain in October 2021 and missed one game. In September 2022, he fractured his thumb and was sidelined for five games.

Then, in November 2024 against the Atlanta Falcons, Prescott partially tore the hamstring tendon in his right leg. He played only eight games as Dallas finished 7-10, with Cooper Rush and Trey Lance filling in at quarterback.

Prescott’s recovery from the hamstring injury continued into the 2025 offseason. Even more than five months after his last game, he was still working to fully recover and get back to his normal strength.

If Prescott is forced to miss time, primary backup Sam Howell would step into the spotlight. Howell brings 18 NFL starts under his belt from his time in Washington, but his 5–13 career record as a starter highlights the drop-off Dallas would face. While Howell has a strong arm, he lacks Prescott’s elite pre-snap vision and game-managing experience, making Dak’s week-to-week health vital for Dallas to stay afloat.

What makes Prescott’s swollen throwing hand worth monitoring is the pressure already on Dallas’ offense. The Cowboys have dealt with injuries in the secondary, leaving little margin for error if the defense continues to give up big plays. If Prescott’s swelling affects his grip or throwing ability on a short week, Dallas’ offense could face added pressure to compensate.

Cowboys dealing with another level of injuries

Cowboys safety and special teams player Alijah “Cinco” Clark was taken off the field on a cart during the second half against the Texans. He had been playing more on defense this season because Dallas has several injured defensive backs. His main job, however, is still on special teams. He was later listed as questionable to return.

Clark’s injury came with Dallas trailing Houston 23-20 before the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were already short on safeties because P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson were dealing with injuries. That meant Dallas had fewer healthy options in the secondary when Clark was forced to leave the game.

Before facing Houston, Dallas had also placed Thompson on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. Defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard was placed on injured reserve as well after suffering a calf injury. Both players were required to miss at least four games, adding to the Cowboys’ growing injury problems.

The Cowboys were also dealing with injuries at cornerback. Shavon Revel hurt his knee during a game against Baltimore and was also dealing with an ankle problem. Meanwhile, Cobie Durant was sidelined with a hamstring strain and was not expected to return against Houston.

Because of these injuries, Dallas needed more depth in the secondary. The Cowboys added three defensive backs to their practice squad: safety Juanyeh Thomas and cornerbacks Alex Austin and Tyrek Funderburk. These moves gave the team more options to fill the gaps caused by the growing injury list.

So, with so many injuries piling up, let’s wait and see how the Cowboys perform in the coming week.