The Dallas Cowboys’ 2022 season got turned upside down last Sunday when quarterback Dak Prescott left the game with a thumb injury that would require surgery. As he’ll miss at least four weeks, but possibly as much as eight weeks, backup Cooper Rush is getting the call and head coach Mike McCarthy tried to put some positive spin on the situation during Wednesday’s press conference.
Mike McCarthy on Cowboys outlook without Dak Prescott: “It’s very disappointing to lose your starting quarterback. It’s extremely disappointing to lose Dak. But the reality is we need to go beat the Cincinnati Bengals, and Cooper (Rush) has the reins.”
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) September 14, 2022
“It’s very disappointing to lose your starting quarterback,” McCarthy said, via USA Today’s Jori Epstein. “It’s extremely disappointing to lose Dak. But the reality is we need to go beat the Cincinnati Bengals, and Cooper (Rush) has the reins.”
As far as how much he trusts Rush, McCarthy said the quarterback is “coach smart” and “has a great disposition for a No. 2.” But he added that there’s a need to be aggressive on offense.
#Cowboys' Mike McCarthy says QB Cooper #Rush is "coach smart" and "has a great disposition for a No. 2."
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) September 14, 2022
#Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy says QB Cooper Rush has great disposition for #2 but needs to get in there run the offense, they will be aggressive and need to open some things up.
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 14, 2022
Meanwhile, Prescott will not be moved to injured reserve despite his injury and it sounds like his surgery went well enough that everyone in the franchise is happy with where the timeline goes from here.
“Everyone feels good about the surgery that Dak went through from the medical perspective,” McCarthy said, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “From my perspective, he had surgery. These next 7-10 days he’s in a healing stage. Let’s get over that hurdle first.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy didn't completely rule out pursuing a veteran QB from the outside, but not this week. He wants to give injured QB Dak Prescott "7-10 days" to heal from his thumb surgery. "Then we'll have a clear idea," he said.
Until then, it's Cooper Rush's show.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) September 14, 2022
We’ll see how well Rush can fill that starter role when the Cowboys host the Bengals on Sunday.
