While the Dallas Cowboys are hopeful that Dak Prescott will return to the lineup sooner than later, they’ve decided to put all their faith in Cooper Rush as the quarterback to get them through the next month or two.
Rush, who was only added back to the active roster late last week, has been with the organization since 2017 but has rarely been called upon for significant starter duty. That changes now as Prescott will be out for at least four weeks, possibly as much as eight weeks, as he recovers from thumb surgery.
The discussion around whether or not Rush will be able to hold down the fort has a lot of arguments on both sides. Some think Rush will be just as capable as Prescott while others are worried the longtime backup won’t be able to get the job done.
One person who knows what it takes to succeed in the NFL is Rich Gannon. The 2002 NFL MVP and four-time Pro Bowler shared his thoughts on Rush via The 33rd Team, saying that he thinks the Central Michigan product will be a capable placeholder for the time being.
“I would describe Cooper Rush as a steady performer in the right situation … He’s never going to be able to overpower you with his arm talent. He certainly lacks experience. I would say he’s an average athlete, he’s not going to make a lot of plays with his legs. But he’s a functional guy in a system he has some familiarity with … think Cooper Rush can go out and play well enough.”
However, given Prescott’s injury history, Gannon also thinks the Cowboys would be wise to invest in a more durable backup for the future.
“I think the game is simply moving too fast for a guy that doesn’t have a ton of reps and experience under center,” Gannon said.
Cooper Rush came off the bench on Sunday in the loss and garnered 64 passing yards on seven completions out of 13 attempts. We’ll see how Rush handles things as the new starter when the Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
