ATLANTA – Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tapped on the wooden lectern when asked if there was a chance he could be sidelined by a hamstring injury that ruled him out of Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. would miss some time.

Prescott will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones called it a “hamstring injury.”

“I mean, it's hard for me to say. I would say I'll be out there next week,” Prescott said as the Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles at the AT&T Stadium next Sunday. “I have to see it again. Luckily I can say that I healed quickly, I made quick progress with injuries and other things, so I'm very grateful for that. I have to get a picture of it. When we get a picture of it I guess we'll see how bad it is.

“It’s going to take a lot to get me out of there, I’ll say that personally.”

Prescott suffered the injury after a 5-yard scramble. On the next play, the cameras caught him grimacing as he threw a 10-yard pass to Jalen Brooks on the wide side of the field, who wobbled.

“I felt it when I got up from running. I can’t even say I felt it while running,” Prescott said. “The tackle, maybe something on the tackle. Yeah, I don't know, but when I stood up I actually felt something. Didn't think it was much. You get tired. It's a physical game. A lot of times. “You feel different things and they kind of disappear.”

When he got to the top of his dropback, Prescott said he “felt something I’ve never felt before. Yes, it was difficult to walk on at that point.”

He asked the medical staff if he could aggravate the injury if he continued playing and was told he couldn't protect himself, so he was pulled in favor of Cooper Rush early in the fourth quarter.

Prescott completed 18 of 24 passes for 133 yards with one touchdown. Prescott had a season-high 30 yards rushing, including a 22-yard gain on a scoring drive in the second quarter. It was the Cowboys' longest run of the season, and Prescott came into the game with 24 yards rushing on the season.

It was shown on the broadcast that Prescott's hand was swollen, but Jones said after the game that it was not a problem, especially given the hamstring problem.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Jones said, about Prescott potentially having to forego action.

Rush finished the game with 115 yds on 13 of 25 passes with a touchdown pass in relief of Prescott. Before Sunday, Rush had appeared in mopup duty in two games this season, completing nine of 14 passes for 52 yards and one interception. But in 2022, he went 4-1 as the Cowboys' starter after Prescott suffered a broken right thumb in the season opener.

If Prescott is unable to play, Trey Lance would serve as Rush's backup.

“If (Prescott) can be out there, that's obviously the best case scenario, but Cooper has been here a long time and we have a lot of confidence in Cooper,” Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin said. “Every time he intervenes there, he doesn’t leave anything out. He takes command of the troops. He’s very intelligent out there and we have all the confidence in the world when he has to go.”

Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million contract just hours before the season opener, making him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. Including Sunday, he had started 36 straight games after his thumb injury. He missed 11 games in 2020 due to a dislocation and fracture of his right ankle and missed one game in 2021 due to a strained right calf.

He hopes he can make 37 consecutive starts next week.

“A big part of this game is mental and from that standpoint I'll be able to get those reps in (if he doesn't practice during the week),” Prescott said. “You play that position, the quarterback position, every rep is your rep whether you’re there or not. You saw Coop go in there and give us a chance, a guy who really understands that. So I know what it means to watch training when I can't participate and get the reps I need, all the things I normally do and more.

“But it's going to be important to just test the hamstrings and like I said, I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to cure the problem, get some reps in training and get out there.”