After Dak Prescott was lost for the season, there was curiosity regarding how the Dallas Cowboys would operate at the quarterback position. Cooper Rush was named the starter but Trey Lance got 15 snaps in the first game without Prescott, throwing six passes and running three times in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. A couple of weeks later, Lance got two snaps, totaling one rush for minus-3 yards.
Since then, it’s exclusively been the Cooper Rush Show.
For those wanting to see Lance instead of Rush, the logic is that Rush is a 31-year-old career backup whose ceiling doesn’t go any higher. Lance is 24, was acquired for a fourth-round pick and holds some mystery. Both quarterbacks will be free agents after this season.
But what if, between the two quarterbacks, Rush is the one who holds more legitimate interest for the future — in particular, as it pertains to the Cowboys’ roster beyond 2024?
The starting quarterback spot in Dallas is set in stone after the Cowboys signed Prescott to a four-year, record-breaking extension on the first Sunday of the regular season. Prescott is signed through 2028, with a potential out after the 2027 season. He has a no-trade clause for the duration of his deal. For the next three years, at minimum, Prescott is planted as the Cowboys’ quarterback.
They are tasked with finding an adequate backup for Prescott in 2025 and beyond. This week, head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer were asked what some defining traits would be in their ideal backup quarterback.
McCarthy: “I think the No. 1 thing I’ve always looked (for) in a backup is can we continue to play the way we’ve always played? That’s something that Cooper gives us, because when you have to alter so much, then it also takes away from the training of the others. … For the backup quarterback, to go in and just plug and play, is important because the reality of it is when his opportunity comes, there’s a good chance it may be in the flow of a game. You’re not going to have that full week to get him ready to go in for the first time.”
Schottenheimer: “It depends a little bit on who your starter is. That’s my experience. If you’ve got a young starter, you want more of a veteran type of guy. A guy like Cooper would be great for any room but he’s got so much knowledge and he’s been around so many systems and things like that. If you’ve got a veteran guy, it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes you’re grooming the next guy. … It depends, but can they run the offense? That’s No. 1. Does the system have to change? Can they handle the volume? Can they handle not getting the reps during the week? Are they great communicators?”
Not having to change the offense much if the starter goes down is at the top of the list. Prescott’s mobility earlier in his career can create a skewed image but the speed and elusiveness are not a hallmark of the 31-year-old starter. Rush mirrors Prescott’s athleticism and play style more than Lance.
Schottenheimer makes an astute point relative to the age factor of the backup. Prescott is not a young quarterback so Dallas doesn’t need a veteran to serve in the mentor role and be a stabilizing force and leader through the crazy winds of the NFL. Prescott is already that guy. His leadership is arguably Prescott’s greatest quality. But Prescott is also at the start of a new four-year deal so there’s little logic to start grooming the guy who will one day take the reins from him. That may be something the Cowboys want from their backup quarterback in 2027, or even 2026, but there’s no pressing need for that right now.
Still, there’s a case to be made that Rush fits the bill as an ideal backup in Dallas. He’s been here since 2017 when he signed as an undrafted free agent. He has a good relationship with Prescott and the respect of his teammates at large in the locker room. The front office likes him, too — he gives them a cheap and safe option.
Rush is a smart player who has functioned well in multiple systems. He had a big, prime-time win in Minnesota in 2021, went 4-1 as a starter in 2022 and is 3-3 through six starts this season. Those instances of fill-in duty for shorter durations are better examples of what the Cowboys need from a backup quarterback than the current situation of playing out the second half of an entire season.
Rush isn’t perfect but with a $60 million guy already in the quarterback room, the Cowboys can’t afford to also house a pricey backup. It’s nice to have former starters as backups like Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, Jacoby Brissett and Andy Dalton, but it helps to have the starters on rookie deals, like J.J. McCarthy, Anthony Richardson, Drake Maye and Bryce Young, respectively.
Rush carries a cap hit of just under $3 million this season, according to Spotrac. As long as the numbers of his next deal stay in the broad neighborhood, that’s a good deal for what he provides the Cowboys, especially if he’s able to eliminate his weekly unforced fumble.
| OPPONENT | RESULT | C-A | YARDS | TD-INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 at Panthers |
W, 30-14
|
18-29
|
214
|
3-0
|
 Bengals |
L, 27-20
|
16-31
|
183
|
2-1
|
 Giants |
W, 27-20
|
21-36
|
195
|
1-0
|
 at Commanders |
W, 34-26
|
24-32
|
247
|
2-0
|
 Texans |
L, 34-10
|
32-55
|
354
|
1-1
|
 Eagles |
L, 34-6
|
13-23
|
45
|
0-0
|
Lance’s future in Dallas beyond 2024 was always a bit confusing. If he showed well in his limited opportunities and the Cowboys didn’t sign Prescott to a long-term deal and wavered in their belief in Prescott as the franchise guy, maybe there would be intrigue if Lance would get the baton. But Lance has been a disappointment at every step, from his 2024 training camp practices to the 2024 preseason and the limited opportunities he’s gotten otherwise.
That’s part of the reason why the Cowboys had no choice but to fully commit to Rush after Prescott went down. The coaches and front office can’t preach a message of prioritizing winning to the locker room while not playing the best quarterback available. That’s why Rush continues to be the starter as the Cowboys enter Week 16 still mathematically alive for the playoffs, no matter how unlikely it may be.
The biggest cloud hovering over the outlook of the backup quarterback spot beyond 2024 is the mystery of who the head coach and offensive coaching staff will be in 2025. But regardless of who the head coach is in 2025, Rush’s play since taking over shows why he should be a front-runner to retain a role that he’s made his own throughout his career.
(Top photo of Rush and Jalen Tolbert: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)
