Cooper Rush is Dallas Cowboys backup QB, team cuts Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci
It appears the Dallas Cowboys will open the season with Cooper Rush as the primary backup quarterback to Dak Prescott.
He is currently the last man standing with the team releasing Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci among the host of moves to get the NFL roster limit of 53 on Tuesday.
“I just think he has shown he can run the complete offense,” said owner Jerry Jones in explaining the decision to give the job to Rush on his radio show on 105.3 “The Fan.“ “Credit to him. He had some tough competition. He’s had a lot of reps. All of those things make us feel real comfortable here.”
Now, the Cowboys are going to do their due-diligence and looking at other quarterbacks in the market for a possible upgrade.
While Rush was able to beat out Gilbert, who had been the front runner for the job since the end of last season, he remains inexperienced with no career starts and one career completion.
A name to remember is former NFL MVP Cam Newton, who was shockingly released by the New England Patriots earlier in the day.
He is among the quarterbacks who will be evaluated by the Cowboys, but that is a long shot due to familiarity and vaccination status.
When asked if the Cowboys might consider upgrading the position through a trade or after final cuts, Jones said it would be a high bar for someone to come in and beat out Rush because of his background with the offense.
What’s more about Newton is that since he is unvaccinated, his transition to a new team comes with some hurdles.
Per NFL rules, unvaccinated players who are cut this week will have to go through a five-day-intake testing period before they can practice or play with a new team.
Jones has already already stated that his goal is have his team 100 percent vaccinated to reduce the risk of in-season protocol violations. Non-compliance is not thought to be an option for a backup quarterback.
Whether the team makes a move at quarterback or not, consider this the initial roster but perhaps not the final roster as the Cowboys have set things up to make a number of changes and additions on Wednesday and in the coming days.
One setback was receiver Noah Brown being placed on the NFL’s COVID-19 list.
Look for him to be added back to the roster before or after Sept. 9 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, causing another roster move to be made.
According to a source, the team plans to move as many as six players who made the final roster to the returnable injured reserve list. Those players include defensive Chauncey Gholston, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, tight end Sean McKean and offensive tackle Josh Ball.
When they make those moves, the team will bring back receiver CeeDee Lamb, guard Connor Williams, defensive tackle Carlos Watkins and safety Damontae Kazee off the COVID-19 list.
Long snapper Jake McQuaide, who was among the players released on Tuesday, is also expected to be signed back.
With only two quarterbacks, two running backs and just two healthy tight ends, the team will look to bolster those positions via the waiver wire.
So consider the roster on Tuesday to be temporary, not final.
In addition to Gilbert, DiNucci and McQuaide, the list players released were safety Darian Thompson, cornerback Deante Burton, tackle Eric Smith, tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, receivers Johnnie Dixon, Brandon Smith, Osirus Mitchell, Reggie Davis and Aaron Parker, safeties Steven Parker and Tyler Coyle, running backs Brenden Knox and JaQuan Hardy, fullback NIck Ralston, tight ends Nick Eubanks and Artayvious Lynn, defensive ends Austin Faoliu and Ron’Dell Carter and center Braylon Jones.
The Cowboys will start signing some of the cut players back to the 16-man practice squad after they clear waivers on Wednesday.
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 9:16 AM.
