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The undrafted rookie from the 2017 NFL Draft becomes an interesting conversation during a soon-to-be very active offseason for the Dallas Cowboys.
Not too long ago, Cooper Rush was an invaluable player for the Dallas Cowboys when Dak Prescott suffered an injury in 2022.
After the franchise quarterback was injured in week one of the 2022 season, all eyes turned to Rush who strapped up to make his first start of the season. In week two of the season, the Michigan native threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in a 23-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
When Cooper Rush became a starter
Over the next four games, the Cowboys, led by Rush, would go onto win their next four games. Over these games, Rush threw for over 200 yards on multiple occasions and was not intercepted at any point. Some television personalities even began discussing a quarterback controversy in Dallas.
The Philadelphia Eagles would end the replacement quarterback’s hot streak, as they defeated America’s Team whilst picking off Rush three times.
This coincided with news Prescott was healthy again and for the start of week 7, Rush returned to his previous position of manning the sideline, with Prescott re-establishing himself as a key player for the team.
Despite the disastrous performance in week 6, Rush has made quite the impression with Mike McCarthy and the quarterback coaches.
Therefore, on March the 17th in 2023, Rush was re-signed by the Cowboys on a two-year contract worth $6 million. He has one year left of this deal.
Securing his services was important as the franchise knew they had a competent second-string quarterback to fill in if Prescott was injured.
The battle to be backup
Nevertheless, the Cowboys sacrificed a fourth-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers, which saw Trey Lance arrive in Texas just months after Rush signed his new deal. Lance is in desperate need to revive his NFL career after suffering a season ending injury in 2022.
The battle to earn the right to sit behind Dak Prescott for the 2024 season will be well underway once training camp begins.
Additionally, with Rush and Lance only having one year left on their respective contracts, they will be fighting to secure another deal and avoid free agency.