Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy has no timetable for Dak Prescott's return from injury

Sunday night went about as poorly as possible for the Dallas Cowboys, as they lost both the regular-season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a serious thumb injury that left him needing surgery. 

It was previously reported that Prescott will be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks of action due to the setback. As Charean Williams noted for Pro Football Talk, Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that Prescott was going under the knife on Monday afternoon and that the team currently has no exact timetable for his return to the lineup. McCarthy also compared the situation to something he experienced during his time with the Green Bay Packers. 

"Definitely, it starts with the grip," McCarthy explained. "In 1999, Brett Favre actually had three separate injuries to his hand, and I think later he had a pin in his thumb. So they’re all different and obviously with a hand and exactly where it is and obviously we’ll know once the surgery is completed and so forth. Yeah, so I don’t have a timeline. But you’re talking about his throwing hand, so ..." 

As things stand today, unproven backup Cooper Rush is atop the Cowboys' depth chart at the sport's most important position, but Dallas has been linked in stories with San Francisco 49ers veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and Pittsburgh Steelers third-string option Mason Rudolph. It's unclear if either of those teams would trade with the Cowboys before the Nov. 1 deadline for such deals. 

Dallas next hosts the 0-1 Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday.