Getty Ex-Cowboys QB Ben DiNucci lands a tryout with the Steelers.
An ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback is trying to find a new NFL home.
As noted by Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out former Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci on Tuesday, July 23. The workout took place just before the start of training camp with Pittsburgh opening camp the next day. DiNucci had actually spent the 2023 season backing up the Steelers’ current favorite to start at quarterback, Russell Wilson.
“The Steelers worked out free agent quarterback Ben DiNucci on Tuesday,” writes Williams. “DiNucci spent last season on the Broncos’ practice squad, helping back up Russell Wilson, now the Steelers’ starter. The Broncos waived DiNucci in May.”
Ben DiNucci Started for Cowboys During 2020 Season
The 27-year-old DiNucci is best known for his tenure with the Cowboys, where he was a seventh-round draft pick back in 2020. DiNucci played two years in Dallas, spending the 2020 season as a backup. Injuries to starter Dak Prescott and backup Andy Dalton eventually paved the way for DiNucci to make a start during the season.
In his lone start with the Cowboys, DiNucci threw for 180 passing yards, lost two fumbles and was sacked four times as Dallas lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-9, on Sunday Night Football. The Pittsburgh Panthers and James Madison alum would go on to spend the 2021 season on the practice squad before he was waived by the Cowboys prior to the start of the 2022 season.
The 6-foot-2 DiNucci holds career totals of 219 passing yards with zero touchdowns and a 53.4% completion rate in three games and one start during his NFL career, all occurring during his rookie season.
Ben DiNucci Has Had Productive Career Outside of NFL
While DiNucci hasn’t found much success during his NFL career, he has found it while playing in another professional football league, the XFL. During the 2023 season with the Seattle Sea Dragons, DiNucci led the league in most major categories, including passing yards (2,671), attempts (374), completions (272), and interceptions (13). He also ranked second in the league with 20 passing touchdowns. However, he also threw a league-high 13 interceptions.
During his collegiate career, DiNucci had his most productive years with FCS school James Madison during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, leading the James Madison Dukes to the title game during his senior season, as Tribune Live’s Tim Benz notes. DiNucci threw 29 touchdowns against just six interceptions with a 70.9% completion rate while being named the CAA (Coastal Athletic Association) Offensive Player of the Year.
“A 2016 graduate of Pine-Richland High School, DiNucci spent the next three seasons as a member of the Pitt Panthers after initially committing to Penn,” writes Benz. “He appeared in 12 games and started six. Eventually, DiNucci transferred to James Madison. There he started 29 games and got the Dukes to the FCS title game as a senior in 2019.”
DiNucci is obviously a local product, having played college ball in Pittsburgh and spending his high school years at Gibsonia, which is roughly 30 minutes away from Pittsburgh. Considering the Steelers already have four quarterbacks on their roster — Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee — it’s likely that Pittsburgh is merely taking a look at DiNucci rather than seriously considering signing him at the current moment.