Cowboys' Dak Prescott suffered minor ankle injury in first half vs Cardinals

The Dallas Cowboys suffered their latest setback of the 2025-26 NFL season in primetime against the Arizona Cardinals to cap off Week 9. It was a letdown for the team on both sides of the ball.

The offense put up just 17 points, the defense failed to produce a turnover, and the coaching was suspect, especially in the redzone.

There was a complete lack of execution all around for the Cowboys.

MORE: 3 takeaways from Dallas Cowboys' embarrassing loss to Cardinals in Week 9

If there's any silver lining, it's that star quarterback Dak Prescott avoided serious injury in the first half when he was rolled up on by Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell, who had two sacks and three quarterback hits on the night.

Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell and tight end Trey McBride celebrate after defeating the Dallas Cowboys | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Prescott was noticably limping to the locker room at the end of the first half, and after the game he told reporters that he suffered a rolled ankle. However, he was confident that it is a minor issue.

"A little ankle roll, but that’s fine going into a bye week. It will be more than great," Prescott said. "I finished the game and I was fine on it. It’s not even anything to have concerns about. With the extra time, I'm fine."

The Cowboys return to action on Monday, November 17, against the Las Vegas Raiders.

MORE: Cowboys defense gets ripped by Cardinals player with NSFW insult on national TV

Protect Dak at all costs

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Josh Sweat sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In Dallas' loss to the Cardinals, the offensive line was dominated by Arizona's defensive front and Prescott paid the price. Not only did he get rolled up on by Campbell, but he took several unnecessary hits.

Prescott was sacked a total of five times and took nine quarterback hits.

That is not the way you protect your $60 million man, who was playing at an MVP level through the first month-and-a-half of the season. Prescott was doing his best to carry the team, but never fully had the support from his defense. Now, his own offensive line is letting him down.

Prescott is coming off a season-ending injury a year ago, suffering a partial hamstring avulsion injury during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. The team can ill-afford to watch him get sidelined again, so the offensive line needs to take the bye week to dig deep and ensure they come back better than ever in Week 10 to keep the franchise quarterback healthy.

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