Cowboys QB Cooper Rush Sends Clear Message on Role

Getty Dak Prescott watches Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush warm up.

In a somewhat surprising move, Cooper Rush decided to return to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason to backup Dak Prescott.

Rush put himself in a good position heading into free agency. He went 4-1 as the starter for Dallas with Prescott on the sideline and there was a thought he could challenge for a starting role somewhere if the right team came calling.

But instead, Rush signed a two-year deal worth a max of $6 million that included a $1.25 million signing bonus. It was a nice raise for Rush, who initially signed with the team in 2017 and got a $5,000 signing bonus, per Spotrac. His total earnings in his six prior seasons combined are just under $4 million.

But for Rush, it wasn’t all about the right offer money-wise. He also got to return to a contender in the Cowboys and stay in Dallas, where he’s been the majority of his career. Rush knows he won’t get a chance to get on the field unless Prescott goes down with an injury, he feels good about where he’s at.

“The role obviously is great,” Rush told ESPN’s Todd Archer. “Then the team. You want to be on a good team, especially if you go in and play. You want guys on both sides of the ball to help you out. We have that in Dallas. And at the end of the day, we don’t have to move the whole family, all those things that are secondary. We love it in Dallas.”

Rush Created Brief ‘QB Controversy’ for Cowboys

Rush had the benefit of a solid running game and stellar defense in Dallas, but he did his part, passing for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions — all of those picks coming against the Philadelphia Eagles in his final start.

“It’s hard just as a competitor, but I finally got to look back and it felt like six years ago, the beginning of the season,” Rush told Archer while reflecting on his opportunity. “But it’s fun to look back, see what we did, look at the whole picture of the season, see how much it helped into those early games, as well as the defense picking us up.”

With the Cowboys winning games with Rush at QB, there was a brief period where owner Jerry Jones encouraged a “quarterback controversy” in Dallas. He eventually backtracked on those comments but there was no doubt what Rush did to keep the Cowboys afloat with Prescott sidelined was valued.

“Just knowing the way he prepares, how he approaches each and every day, how mentally tough he is, how mentally sharp he is, I knew that he was going to go out there and put our team in a position to do exactly what they did,” Prescott said.

Cowboys Challenge Dak Prescott to Stay on the Field

The big challenge for Prescott last season was turnovers. He led the league in interceptions with 17, despite missing five games. But the Cowboys also want to make sure Prescott is on the field for a full season.

“If you look at the last three years, he needs to be more available,” Jones said while speaking to reporters at the annual NFL owner’s meetings. “Everything we’re doing, and I feel good about this offensive line, should make him more available.”

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said his goal for next season is for Prescott to “play 20 games next year.”

That would line up with Dallas’ Super Bowl aspirations.