Last year's offseason came with a lot of angst about who would be the backup quarterback. But while the Dallas Cowboys have many concerns preparing for 2022, Cooper Rush appears to be an affordable and reliable option to retain as QB2 next season.
Rush's eventual rise to the backup spot was a big surprise last year. The general consensus was that it would be Garrett Gilbert, who shined in his one 2020 appearance against Pittsburgh. Others thought maybe Ben DiNucci would develop enough in his second season to threaten Gilbert's claim.
Cooper was still in the mix, having rejoined the Cowboys in the middle of the 2020 season after injuries devastated the position. But given that Dallas had left him go once before, Rush was an afterthought in the QB2 discussion.
That seemed especially true when the Cowboys didn't seem entirely thrilled with their options, bringing in veteran backups like Jeff Driskel and Brett Hundley for interviews after the draft. Had one of those guys been signed, Rush was probably the one who would've lost his roster spot to them.
But things changed during training camp and preseason. Gilbert wasn't running away with the job as many thought and it was Rush, not DiNucci, who was stepping up and looking the most competent. By the final preseason game, Rush had done enough to earn the start and eventually was named backup QB while Gilbert and DiNucci failed to make the official roster.
After five seasons in obscurity and fighting for a spot in the NFL, Cooper Rush finally got a chance to show his stuff in a meaningful game. He got his first career start in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings due to a short-term calf injury for Dak Prescott.
Not only did the Cowboys win that game but Rush looked great in the process. He passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns, albeit with one interception, and led a comeback drive to give Dallas a crucial NFC win on the road.
Rush looked better that day than Gilbert did against the Steelers in 2020. He validated years of developmental work by the Cowboys since they signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2017.
Now Cooper is a veteran with real-game experience and a very modest $1 million salary cap hit. In an offseason that finds Dallas struggling against the cap, Rush gives them bargain value at an important backup position.
Sure, the Cowboys would love to have more experienced depth like Andy Dalton in 2020 or what we've seen from guys like Gardner Minshew and Case Keenum last year. But those guys cost a lot more; Keenum carried a $7 million cap hit for the Browns in 2021 and Minshew was about $2.5 million for the Eagles.
Given the financial factor, Cooper Rush is likely to return as the leading candidate for Dak's backup in 2022. But unlike in 2017-2019 when we were going on preseason games and trust in the coaches and front office, now we've seen what Rush can do under real pressure. He's a far more valuable asset now than ever before, and he's a great deal for the cap-strapped Cowboys.
