Do you think the Cowboys will bring Cooper Rush back?
The Dallas Cowboys have a long list of unrestricted free agents who will officially hit the open market in a little over a month. Of those, six or seven were significant contributors in 2024, meaning the Cowboys have some difficult decisions ahead of them in the coming weeks.
We continue our free agent profile series, taking a look at Dallas’ impending free agents. Today, we examine a player who unexpectedly played significant snaps last season, quarterback Cooper Rush.
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
2024 Regular Season Stats: 8 GS, 4-4 QBRec, 60.7% Completion Percentage, 1,844 Passing Yards, 12 Passing Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 6.0 Y/A, 83.8 Passer Rating
Year Review: For the second time in the past three seasons, veteran quarterback Cooper Rush saw some extended playing time when Dak Prescott went out with an injury. Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring tear in Week 9, inserting Rush as Dallas’ starter for the rest of the regular season.
Things didn’t start well for the 31-year-old veteran as Dallas got outscored 68-16 in his first two starts, with Rush completing just 57% of his passes and recording a Passer Rating of 68.8. During that two-game span, Rush’s -0.371 EPA/Play was the worst among qualified starting quarterbacks, and it looked like the Cowboys would need to make a change if they wanted any shot of staying competitive for the rest of the season.
After two awful performances, Dallas’ Week 12 matchup against the Washington Commanders ended up being a turning point for Rush’s 2024 season. The veteran had arguably his most productive day of the season in Dallas’ 34-26 upset win, completing 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, recording a season-high Passer Rating of 117.6.
In the five-game stretch from Week 12 through Week 16, Rush completed 64% of his throws to go with nine touchdown passes to just one interception. His Passer Rating during this five-game span was an impressive 100.5, and the Cowboys as a team posted a 4-1 record. While the Cowboys weren’t playing many quality opponents during this stretch, Rush did perform as well as we’ve seen him throughout the course of his seven-year NFL career.
The 31-year-old’s season ended with a rough outing against the Eagles in Philadelphia as the Cowboys opted to sit Rush for their season finale, giving young quarterback Trey Lance a chance to start.
Free Agency Outlook: Although Rush did play some decent football at times this year, it’s hard to see any team in the league giving him a chance to start next season. The veteran’s potential free-agent market will likely be filled with teams looking to acquire an experienced, reliable veteran to fill in if their starter were to go down for a short period of time.
While he certainly hasn’t lit the world on fire when he’s been forced to start, Rush is 9-5 as a starter in the NFL, something few backup quarterbacks in the league have accomplished. Last offseason, quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo signed one-year deals worth a little over $3M each. At this point in their respective careers, Rush is likely a more reliable and more productive backup than the two, so he’ll likely try to earn a deal worth at least $3M AAV on the open market.
Spotrac projects Rush to earn a one-year, $5M deal this spring. That number seems fair, given what Rush has accomplished as a starter and the lack of quality backup quarterback currently in the league.
It will be interesting to see if any team values what Rush has done over the past three seasons enough to give him a multi-year deal to be their backup. Outside of Sam Darnold, this is one of the weakest quarterback free-agent classes in years, which may drive up Rush’s demand and land him a more significant contract than expected.
Cowboys Verdict: Back in 2023, the Cowboys signed Rush to a two-year, $5M deal. If the Cowboys want him back as their backup next season, they may need to commit to another multi-year deal to retain the veteran’s services.
From the Cowboys’ perspective, even if you bring Rush back, the hope would be he does not have to play a single significant snap in the 2025 season. But with Dak Prescott’s injuries over the past three seasons, it would make sense for the Cowboys to want to retain a veteran backup like Rush, who is familiar with the offense and has played at least league-average when he’s been forced to start.
Overall, there likely won’t be any team that blows Rush away with an offer on the open market, making a return to Dallas very likely. The Cowboys will likely be able to work out a two-year deal that is beneficial for both sides, bringing the veteran quarterback back for another season or more.
Prediction: Cooper Rush signs with the Dallas Cowboys for two years, $7.5M.
