Many Dallas Cowboys fans thought the season would be in jeopardy after it was announced that Dak Prescott needed hamstring surgery. The most unlikely surprise of all, however, is that the Cowboys have won three of their last four games.

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the struggling Mike McCarthy’s currently have less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs. While the playoffs are a pipe dream, it’s impressive that Dallas isn’t mathematically eliminated since they were 3-7 just a month ago.

Nevertheless, it is time to look ahead to 2025. Several players on the roster, most of whom are free agents, have pushed hard to sign new contracts. Osa Odighizuwa and Jourdan Lewis played at a Pro Bowl level, while Carl Lawson had a productive year at quarterback.

Still, there is one player who has given Dallas the ideal plan to extend Prescott’s career: running back Rico Dowdle.

Rico Dowdle gives the Cowboys the perfect plan to extend Dak Prescott’s career

Dowdle has been a revelation since the Cowboys named him their lead back. The fact that it took more than half the season for this to happen is a travesty, but we digress.

With 149 rushing yards in Sunday’s win over Carolina, Dowdle became the first undrafted free agent in a decade with three straight 100-yard games. According to Pro Football Focus, Dowdle ranked either first or second in rushing yards, yards after contact, explosive runs (rushes of 10 or more yards), forced missed tackles and runs that resulted in a first down during that span.

RELATED: Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle achieves a performance not seen in the NFL in a decade

Dowdle should not be the centerpiece of the offense. This is CeeDee Lamb, who made more Cowboys history on Sunday. Regardless of whether Mike McCarthy comes back, it should be Dallas running the football next year and Dowdle should absolutely be a part of that.

With Dowdle as the focal point of the offense, the Cowboys have won three of their last four games with Cooper Rush under center. While Prescott proved capable of running an offense in 2023 when he finished second in MVP voting, he has thrived in the past with the advantage of a strong running game.

Prescott will be 32 before the start of next season. He is by no means “injury prone,” but two serious leg injuries in four years, both requiring season-ending surgery, are alarming.

The Cowboys’ window is wide open as long as Prescott is healthy and under contract. The front office’s main goal should be to extend his career. The easiest way to achieve this is to not ask him to do everything, i.e. become the first attack.

With Dowdle proving to be a more than capable starter, Dallas has a unique opportunity to sign a rookie somewhere on day two to give Prescott a two-headed monster in the backfield. That should be the way forward and thanks to Dowdle’s coming out party, it’s possible.

More Cowboys news and analysis