Dallas Cowboys missing $100m of talent against the Washington Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys' miserable 2024 season got worse this week with the news of more injuries to starting players.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs and right guard Zack Martin have been ruled out of Sunday’s clash with the Washington Commanders, a game that the Cowboys need to win to keep their faltering hopes of a postseason place alive.

Diggs is sidelined with groin and knee injuries and was officially ruled out on Saturday. Martin struggled during the Monday Night Football loss against the Houston Texans and is suffering with injuries to both his ankle and shoulder.

They join quarterback Dak Prescott, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Brandin Cooks on the injury list. Prescott’s NFL-record salary takes up $44.6 million of salary cap space this season. Combined with the salaries of Diggs, Martin, Cooks and Lawrence, the Cowboys now have more than $100 million in wage cap space on injured reserve.

But despite the injury issues, head coach Mike McCarthy refused to blame those absences for the team’s poor form. Monday’s loss was a fifth defeat on the bounce for Dallas.

“We’re not playing well enough, executing well enough, coaching well enough to overcome some of the mistakes we’re making at the critical times of the Game,“ McCarthy insisted. ”Even in the first half, we had some opportunities there, you know, to get some more points and didn’t get it done. We just have to play cleaner in these tight spots, and we did not do that tonight.”

How long is Dak Prescott out injured for?

Ahead of the 2024 NFL season the Cowboys made Prescott the highest-paid player in the league with a huge $240 million, four-year deal. He’s an experienced presence in the team but has limited postseason know-how, having won only two playoff games in his career.

This year was supposed to be one of progress for the Cowboys but both the team and Prescott himself have gone backwards. Before his injury, Prescott was completing just 64.7% of his passes and had recorded 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

“I’d probably say the toughest,” Prescott said of the 2024 Cowboys season, describing it as a “roller coaster” of emotions.

“It’s been a tough year personally with my emotions because it’s a roller coaster,” Prescott explained. “It’s truly been ups and downs. I would say riding a wave I’m constantly preaching about not riding.”

The Cowboys will go with Cooper Rush as starting QB against the Commanders but he faces a tough task to knit together a faltering offensive unit. Third-choice quarterback Trey Lance is also expected to see some game time as McCarthy desperately looks to arrest the slide.

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