The Dallas Cowboys face a handful of major decisions in the upcoming offseason, including how to proceed at the quarterback position.
Dallas held out for as long as it could, but eventually the team caved just hours before taking the field in Week 1 and extended quarterback Dak Prescott on a four-year deal worth $240 million total ($60 million annually) that runs through the 2028 campaign.
But then, in the second half of the Cowboys’ Week 9 contest against the Atlanta Falcons, Prescott went down with a torn hamstring that ultimately required surgery and cost him the remainder of the season. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Backup Cooper Rush stepped into the starting role and has led Dallas to a 3-3 record in the six games since, completing nearly 60% of his passes for 1,405 yards, 10 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference.
Rush is 8-4 as a starter across his seven-year NFL career and will hit unrestricted free agency in March after his two-year, $5 million contract with the Cowboys runs out this spring.
It is clear that Dallas needs a solid option behind Prescott, who should return in plenty of time for the 2025 season.
But quarterback Trey Lance — also bound for free agency in March sans an extension — has struggled every time he’s gotten run with the Cowboys, be it during the preseason or the regular season.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images That should make Rush a priority, but money could be an issue in Dallas after huge contracts for Prescott and star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb over the summer, plus pricey negotiations with edge rusher Micah Parsons likely to begin in the coming months.
Beyond that, there are plenty of other franchises that may be willing to pay significantly for a quality QB like Rush.
Among them is could be the Minnesota Vikings, particularly if the team can’t afford to bring back Sam Darnold next season. “If the club lets Darnold walk to make way for [J.J.]McCarthy, signing Rush as a backup in free agency would be a smart move,” Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department wrote on Monday, Dec. 16.
“That gives the young quarterback a good mentor, and the 31-year-old has plenty of starting experience to fill in when needed.”
