One key Dallas Cowboys veteran is projected to land a big payday.
After a surprising run as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback — going 4-1 while filling in for the injured Dak Prescott — Cooper Rush is expected to sign a nice contract in the offseason. According to a prediction from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, Cooper Rush will earn a two-year, $20 million contract in the offseason. Kay says that even if Rush doesn’t end up as a starting quarterback, he’s made the case as a top backup option during his run as Dallas’ starter.
“Even if Rush doesn’t end up starting, he’ll make a case for being the top backup option for franchises needing depth at the position,” says Kay. “He’s shown he can carry an NFL offense and manage a game, traits that will help him stick around the league for the foreseeable future.”
Rush Proves to Be Effective Game Manager
Although Rush wasn’t statistically dominant, he did show the ability to manage an offense while helping keep a playoff contender afloat — exactly what’s required from a backup quarterback. After appearing in five games, Rush ranks sixth in the league in quarterback rating (61.3) and seventh in sack percentage (4.29 percent).
Rush is earning just a shade over $1 million per season right now after not even making the 53-man roster out of training camp. The 28-year-old quarterback was released at the end of preseason and signed to the practice squad shortly thereafter.
“Since rejoining the team in the wake of Prescott’s season-ending injury, Rush has had a meteoric rise following his time with the practice squad,” said Kay. “After seeing sporadic action in 2021—including a lone start in which he went off for 325 yards and two scores while leading a fourth-quarter comeback against Minnesota—the quarterback is now poised to potentially become a full-time starter in 2023.”
Cowboys Unlikely to Re-Sign Rush to $20 Million
For comparison purposes, the highest-earning backup QB in the league is the Miami Dolphins’ Teddy Bridgewater at $6.5 million. Rush’s projected contract of $10 million per season would actually rank him 18th among quarterbacks in terms of cap hit this season.
That type of contract would actually make Rush the sixth highest-paid player on the Cowboys’ roster. As Kay notes, the career backup is in line for one of the biggest pay increases of any player this offseason.
“Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush is making a shade over $1 million for the 2022 campaign, but the backup-turned-starting-savior for the club could be in line for one of the biggest pay raises of any player this coming offseason,” says Kay.
If Rush actually signs a contract worth $10 million per season, it’s hard to envision Dallas re-signing him. Although Prescott has been a bit injury prone in recent seasons — he missed 11 games during the 2020 season due to a right ankle injury — the Cowboys are not going to devote 4.4 percent of their salary cap (teams are projected to have a $225 million salary cap in 2023) to a backup quarterback.
Although Rush’s undefeated streak finally ended in a rough three-interception performance in a 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it definitely didn’t diminish his projected contract value for the offseason.
With many teams in desperate need of quality quarterbacks, Rush won’t be lacking in suitors during the 2023 offseason.
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Cowboys Veteran Projected to Land ‘Major’ $20 Million Payday