Getty Cooper Rush #13 runs drills at NY Giants Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
The Cooper Rush experiment in New York has come to an end. Numerous reports, including Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, have confirmed that the Giants have terminated the contracts of both Rush and running back Rod Smith. Both players were originally teammates with Big Blue’s vaunted NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, from 2017 through 2018.
Leonard has also reported that the Giants have protected practice squad occupants, punter Ryan Santoso, long snapper Carson Tinker and safeties Chris Williamson and Sean Chandler. The safety position is of course at more of a premium in New York now than it was just one week ago amid Jabrill Peppers’ ankle injury.
The Giants now have three open spots on their practice squad, so expect a slew of new faces, or old faces, to be added within the next couple days. Wide receivers Alex Bachman and Corey Coleman certainly come to mind as potential additions with Sterling Shepard on injured reserve.
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Giants Say Goodbye to 2 Garrett Disciples
The 26-year-old Rush was claimed by the Giants off of waivers back in May, mainly due to his connection with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, dating back to their days together in Dallas.
By most accounts, Rush’s comfort in Garrett’s scheme was evident throughout training camp, as he led the offense on numerous two-minute scoring drives in scrimmages. However, it was not enough to warrant Rush an initial roster spot. The quarterback was a causality during final roster cuts, but was later signed to the G-Men’s practice squad the following day.
Over his three-plus years in the NFL, Rush has attempted just three passes, completing one pass for two yards. The termination of Rush’s contract leaves New York with veteran Colt McCoy as the lone signal-caller behind starter Daniel Jones.
Rod Smith’s release marks the second time he has seen a tenure in New York come to an end within the past year. Ezekiel Elliott’s former backup in Dallas, Smith originally joined Big Blue back in 2019, spending training camp with the team last season before ultimately being waived with an injury settlement in early September.
After a few cups of coffee with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders, Smith was signed to the Giants’ practice squad in early September of this season.
The former Buckeye’s running back is the older brother of Cowboys standout linebacker Jaylon Smith.