Dak Prescott hand injury - Biggest questions and what's next for Dallas Cowboys, plus trade options, fantasy spin

The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2022 NFL season with Super Bowl aspirations, but their playoff path hit a bump in the road Sunday night when quarterback Dak Prescott injured his right thumb while throwing a pass in a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prescott is now expected to have surgery and could miss six to eight weeks, probably putting him on injured reserve.

Dallas won the NFC East in 2021 and came into the season projected to be one of the conference's top contenders. But what happens now? What does this mean for the Cowboys' season? Where will they turn at quarterback? Are there any trade or free agent options on the table for Dallas?

We asked our reporters and analysts to weigh in on the biggest questions surrounding Prescott's injury and what comes next. Can the Cowboys stay in contention, and who might be the starting quarterback while Prescott recovers? Then we took a closer look at how the injury might impact other teams around the league, from the top division competitor Eagles to the potential trade partner 49ers to the Week 2 opponent Bengals. Let's get started.

Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter: This is the worst possible situation for the Cowboys. Prescott was their most important player, and now he's gone for perhaps as many as seven games (Dallas has a Week 9 bye).

Could coach Mike McCarthy get a pass if Dallas crumbles? Maybe, but he was able to make the playoffs in Green Bay in 2013 when Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with a broken collarbone. McCarthy entered this season already on the hot seat, and if this team implodes, owner Jerry Jones might not give him a fourth season.

Stephania Bell, injury analyst: The projected timetable is 6-8 weeks, but that could be refined post-surgery based on the