Getty Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci is being released by the Denver Broncos.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci is once again looking for a new home after being released by the Denver Broncos, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Cowboys selected DiNucci in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft, and the quarterback spent two seasons in Big D before the team released the signal-caller in August 2022 as the franchise finalized their 53-man roster.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio previously projected that Denver would keep three quarterbacks with DiNucci joining Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham on the team’s final roster. The Broncos decided to operate differently by only keeping two quarterbacks. Denver could still look to re-sign DiNucci to the team’s practice squad if he goes unclaimed by opposing franchises.
“I just kind of look at the roster and make decisions based on that team and that year,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said at the start of the 2023 training camp, per Pro Football Talk. “I like [DiNucci’s] experience. There’s a calmness about him, a little poise. He’s played in games, and just recently, he finished playing a season. That’s why he’s here.”
The Dallas Cowboys Do Not Have a Roster Spot for Ben DiNucci or Another Quarterback
DiNucci’s history with the Cowboys is sure to prompt speculation about a potential reunion, but Dallas already has more quarterbacks than they do roster spots. Dallas will release Will Grier, but the team still has Cooper Rush and Trey Lance sitting behind Dak Prescott.
It would not be a surprise if the Cowboys look to re-sign Grier to the team’s practice squad if the veteran passes through waivers. As for DiNucci, the quarterback could be an appealing option for another NFL franchise given his standout XFL season in Seattle. DiNucci threw for a league-high 2,671 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 64.7% of his passes in the XFL.
Jerry Jones on Trey Lance: ‘It Didn’t Cross My Mind, Period, About an Impact Here Regarding Dak’
More notable ex-Cowboys are sure to also be on the move with former Dallas first-round pick Taco Charlton joining DiNucci on the waiver wire after being released by the 49ers. Dallas faces their own decisions at quarterback after surprisingly trading for Lance.
Dallas now has three quarterbacks under contract through the 2024 season in Prescott, Rush and Lance. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones downplayed the idea that the team considered Prescott’s future before acquiring Lance.
“It didn’t cross my mind, period, about an impact here regarding Dak,” Jones told reporters on August 26. “I know that Dak wants to do anything that we can do to improve this team, and we’re going to do it.
“The facts are that the decision to bring in as high a quality of talent as we could that’s evolving or a young talent that is basically gaining, improving, getting better that you would be as a young talent. That’s something that we’ve been trying to do, but it’s just never the opportunity seems to be there so often,” Jones added.
It will be interesting to see how Dallas navigates the backup quarterback role between Lance and Rush. Given his familiarity with the offense, Rush is expected to begin the season as the Cowboys QB2.