Losing Cooper Rush is a bigger deal than you think.
After spending most of the last eight seasons with the Cowboys, quarterback Cooper Rush recently signed to back up Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. It’s a loss that Dallas shouldn’t take for granted given the significant role that Rush has played, and the likelihood that whoever takes over as QB2 will need to be ready to win some games.
Many have declared indifference to Rush’s departure. It generally comes in two flavors; either you don’t think Rush was that good or you feel that the Cowboys’ season would be over regardless of who the backup QB is. The first line of reasoning is debatable, and the second is even easier to debunk.
There are legitimate complaints about Rush’s overall skill set. He certainly wasn’t flashy in any one area, particularly his athleticism. He isn’t very mobile and his arm strength is average at best. But in terms of the core duties of a quarterback, Rush processed well, avoided turnovers, and delivered the ball with sufficient accuracy. You could keep running most of your offense with him in the game. His personality was also great for the role, able to step up and perform even in high-pressure situations.
Rush went 9-5 as a starter in the last four seasons. While wins are a team stat, it demonstrates that Rush was capable of doing enough to help Dallas win 64% of those games. That’s 10-11 wins in a 17-game season, which some NFL franchises would love to see. Maybe he wasn’t going to beat top teams or give you much confidence in the playoffs, but how many backup QBs do? There’s a reason the 2017 Nick Foles story was considered worthy of a Disney movie; it was a fantasy come to life.
But even though the legend of Foles is an extreme example, it does illustrate that seasons don’t end just because you lose your starting QB. Even more realistic is the fact that not all injuries are season-ending. Just look at 2022 when Prescott missed five games from Weeks 2-6. That was when Rush really put his name on the map for NFL backups, going 4-1 as the starter. It allowed Prescott to return to a 4-2 team, which led to another 12-5 season and playoff berth.
That’s when you need a guy like Cooper Rush. No, he’s probably not going to win you a Super Bowl or even a second-round playoff game. But he proved that he could keep your season afloat. It says something that the Ravens, who project to remain a championship contender in 2025, would trust Rush with their backup job.
The Cowboys can’t be any less serious about their own QB2. Prescott has missed 26 games over the last five years, 20 from season-ending injuries and six in temporary absences. He’s only getting older and you’re not exactly confident about your offensive line these days, particularly at offensive tackle. Dallas has to have someone they trust to keep the team competitive, at least in the regular season, when Prescott gets knocked out of action again.
It’s hard to say Will Grier is that guy with any kind of boldness. The only other QB currently under contract, Grier hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2019 with the Panthers. Maybe the former third-round pick is just waiting for another opportunity to show what he can do, like Rush for several years before 2021. But some things just can’t be proven on the practice field or even in preseason games, and then you’re putting the team’s W-L record on the line.
There’s still plenty of time for the Cowboys to show how they really feel about losing Cooper Rush. Right now, Grier would be the next man up by circumstance over strategy. We still have a lot of offseason left to go and ample opportunities for Dallas to find Rush’s actual replacement via free agency or the draft. Maybe we’ll get to training camp and Grier will still seem like the front-runner, but it’d be nice to see another veteran or a mid-round draft pick here to compete. But if the Cowboys truly appreciate what they’ve had these last several years with Rush, they won’t be flippant about who fills his shoes.
