Dak Prescott's season-ending injury rocked the NFL world on Sunday. The image of a clearly emotional Prescott leaving the AT&T Stadium turf on a cart resonated with hundreds of NFL players who tweeted support and respect.
When a top-10 quarterback leading the league's most popular franchise five games into a franchise-tag year is brought to tears over the brutality of the sport, the ripple effect is massive. A right ankle compound fracture and dislocation leaves Prescott with a lengthy rehab process and Dallas without its unquestioned leader.
The player with 42 wins since 2016, third among NFL quarterbacks, was a threat to throw for 400 yards every week in 2020.
The good news is Prescott remains, in the words of Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones on Monday, "our future," with the Sunday night ankle surgery deemed successful.
But the next six months will bring answers for the state of the franchise, Prescott's place in it and a former Pro Bowl quarterback out of Cincinnati looking to reignite his career.
After talking with league personnel, here's a look at the aftermath of the Dak injury from several angles.
Jump ahead:
How the league views Dak's injury
Dak's future with the Cowboys
Two potential free-agency front runners
Can Andy Dalton lead them to the playoffs?