The Dallas Cowboys are a team that typically likes to carry a veteran as their backup quarterback, especially during Jason Garrett's tenure as head coach. It is after all a position he played for over a decade in the NFL, so maybe there's some nostalgia still there for those veteran QBs. But, it looks as if that could be changing.
The Dallas Cowboys started off the 2017 with Kellen Moore as their backup quarterback behind Dak Prescott, but that only lasted six games. In Week 7, the Cowboys decided to release Moore and promote rookie Cooper Rush, making him the unquestioned backup QB.
This QB switch caught quite a few of us Cowboys fans off guard. For Cooper Rush to unseat Kellen Moore as the backup QB looked almost undoable, especially for a rookie. Moore not only had the veteran experience and knowledge of the playbook, but most importantly had the trust of the coaching staff. But, it still happened.
Heading into the 2018 season it looks as if Cooper Rush could be the favorite to reprise his role as Prescott's backup once again. He did receive a little bit of game experience in mop up duty against the San Francisco 49ers, completing 1 of 3 passes for 2 yards and ran twice for 13 yards. It's not all that impressive, but I guess it still counts as experience.
While Cooper Rush may have the upper hand right now to be the Dallas Cowboys QB2, Mike White, who the Cowboys drafted in the fifth-round in the 2018 NFL Draft, could challenge for that honor.
Mike White has to be considered the underdog right now to become the backup to Dak Prescott this season as a rookie. It's a big jump to go from college to the NFL for any player, but probably more so as a quarterback. The mental side of the game is just much more demanding for a QB then probably any other position.
I for one think Mike White is up to the challenge and can really push Cooper Rush. For one, I had White graded much higher as a QB prospect coming out of college then Rush. I gave White a late third, early fourth-round grade and Rush a seventh-round, priority free agent grade. So, maybe I'm a little biased, but I like White's skill set more.
As you can imagine, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Mike White ends up being the Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback this season. A lot of fans didn't like the fact the Cowboys used a draft pick on a QB, but I believe White has a chance to start in the NFL at some point. I like his skill set that much.
There are a lot of things that need to happen between now and the start of the 2018 season, but I for one am going to be watching the backup QB competition very closely. If Mike White wins the job, the Dallas Cowboys would have had a rookie backup QB for the second consecutive season in a row. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but it's interesting to think about.
