Not only did the Cowboys lose an ugly season opener on Sunday night, they fell to the Buccaneers 19-3 in a frustrating offensive performance. They also lost one of the few stars in the offensive lineup, with quarterback Dak Prescott out for much of the game after suffering a hand surgery against Tampa Bay. games . What will happen to Dallas’ QB now?
The most likely answer is to replace Cooper Rush , who replaced Prescott on Sunday In the last six minutes of the game, he will serve as a provisional starter. Rush did that briefly in 2021, when he started a single game — Monday night’s Week 8 win over the Vikings — while Prescott returned from a calf injury. Originally drafted from the Michigan Central Tribes in 2017, the 28-year-old reserve has spent the better part of five years with the team, appearing in more than two games just once in a season.
Rush was relatively effective in limited action last year, and he was the most prominent on the team, going 30-for-47 for 422 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 in 5 games Interceptions (105.1 passer rating), including a start against Minnesota. He wasn’t so great off the bench on Sunday night, shooting 7-for-13 for 64 yards while trailing 16 yards despite a temporary injury-riddled supporting cast.
The only other official selection at the moment, the Cowboys are practice QB Will Grier who is the 2019 Panthers The team’s third-rounder, vying for a bench spot this summer. The 27-year-old Greer, a former West Virginia standout, is eligible for promotion to the active roster or at least three one-week call-ups from the scouting team. He’s spent the entire 2021 offseason on Dallas’ roster and hasn’t played a single game for the 2020 Panthers. However, he did have two starts on his resume from his rookie season, when he underperformed in Weeks 16-17, completing just 53% of his passes, matching four picks. Than, his TD hit rate is zero.
As for outside options, the Cowboys will likely look to re-sign free agent Ben Dinucci , who He was released in a final layoff two years later and left the practice team. The former undrafted James Madison product appeared in three games in 2020, getting a rush start Sunday night against the rival Eagles, going 21-for-40 for 180 yards in that game for a 23- 9 lost.
If Dallas looks farther, the most notable veteran replacements include former Panthers starter Cam Newton (unsigned), former Giants backup and spot starter Mike Glennon (unsigned) and former Broncos journeyman Josh Johnson, who could be claimed by Denver as a practice team. While unlikely, the Cowboys could also explore trades, such as current Saints backup Andy Dalton, one of the NFL’s most experienced No. 2 quarterbacks. Dalton has spent 2020 in Dallas, particularly starting nine games in place of the injured Prescott during Mike McCarthy’s first year as Cowboys coach.
