Dak Prescott was consulting with a hand specialist Monday morning.

Surgery was scheduled on his fractured right thumb later Monday afternoon.

No definitive timetable will be established until that surgery is complete. But the Cowboys are bracing themselves for the prospect that they will be without their starting quarterback until after the bye week, placing his return at mid-November.

Prescott is looking at a timeframe of 6 to 8 weeks, persons with knowledge of the severity of the injury told The Dallas Morning News. That appears to be the best possible prognosis at this stage. And that puts him squarely into the second half of the season.

“It’s very disappointing, but injuries happen,’’ Prescott said after Sunday night’s 19-3 loss to Tampa Bay. “I can’t necessarily control it, it’s just unfortunate.
“I am going to miss some time and not be there for my team. That’s what hurts more than anything, especially after the start we just put out there.’’

Six weeks from the time of surgery puts the Cowboys at Oct. 24, which is the day after their home game against Detroit. The team hosts Chicago one week later before the bye.

Cooper Rush is now the team’s starting quarterback until further notice. He had one start in the first five years of his NFL career, a win over Minnesota on the road last season.

• After arguably the worst season-opening loss in franchise history, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said panicking isn’t an option for the Dallas Cowboys.

The same might not be able to be said about Coach Mike McCarthy who entered the season presumably on the hot seat following last season’s disappointing loss in the NFC wild-card playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers when the Cowboys were admittedly nervous and unprepared at the outset and let the clock run on out on them before getting off a play as time expired.

McCarthy’s charge is to not only get the Cowboys back to the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2006-2007 but also take them further in than anytime since their last Super Bowl title in 1995.

The Cowboys’ front office was not only deflated by the loss of quarterback Dak Prescott, but also surprised by the team’s woeful performance even before his exit. That doesn’t bode well for McCarthy.

Owner Jerry Jones was visibly and vocally disappointed after the game Sunday night.

“It’s pretty logical for me to see that we’ve got a lot of areas to work on and a lot of areas to improve on,” Jerry Jones said. “It was real disappointing before Dak’s injury certainly disappointed after it.”

CHIEFS: Former assistant coach Britt Reid pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury stemming from a 2021 crash, which occurred when his pickup truck struck two stopped cars on an interstate entrance ramp and seriously injured a 5-year-old girl.

Reid, the 37-year-old son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, had been scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 26. Britt Reid had faced up to seven years in prison, but the plea deal means he now faces a possible sentence of up to four years in prison. He entered his plea in Jackson County Circuit Court in Kansas City. Sentencing is set for Oct. 28.

While questioning Reid to confirm that he understood the plea deal, Circuit Judge Charles McKenzie said Reid also could serve a short period of time in prison and then be placed on probation if he qualifies for good behavior.

Investigators said Reid was intoxicated and driving about 84 mph when his Dodge truck hit the cars on an entrance ramp to Interstate 435 near Arrowhead Stadium on Feb. 4, 2021.

A girl inside one of the cars, Ariel Young, suffered a traumatic brain injury. Six people, including Reid, were injured in the crash.

EAGLES: Defensive end Derek Barnett tore his ACL during the team’s Week 1 win over the Lions, Coach Nick Sirianni said. Barnett, a six-year veteran, is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

With Barnett, 26, lined up from the right side of the defensive line on Sunday afternoon, he attempted to rush Lions quarterback Jared Goff, but Barnett appeared to fall to the turf without sustaining any contact. Trainers immediately attended to Barnett, while a majority of his teammates kneeled around him. He eventually walked off under his own power, but did not return to the game.

49ERS: The 49ers will be without running Elijah Mitchell again after a Week 1 knee injury against the Chicago Bears.

Mitchell was running strong, gaining 41 yards on six carries before his departure in Sunday’s 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears and was immediately declared out for the game.

Two reports surfaced indicating a prolonged absence. The NFL Network reported Mitchell would be out “a few weeks or more.” According to ESPN, Mitchell’s absence would be “about two months” with an MCL sprain.