The Dallas Cowboys still have nine games left to play in 2024, but the season effectively ended Sunday when Dak Prescott left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
The initial signs were not promising. Jerry Jones offered a grim response immediately after the game, while Prescott himself gave a troubling description. The Pro Bowl quarterback walked to the locker room under his own power, but he had a noticeable limp.
Prescott underwent an MRI on Monday and while a definitive timetable is unclear, he's expected to miss several weeks. The Cowboys are reportedly mulling putting Prescott on injured reserve while he seeks a second opinion for treatment.
As of Monday afternoon, it remained to be seen if Cooper Rush or Trey Lance would start in Prescott's stead. If Dallas had any sense, they would start Lance so as to maximize his value and potentially get a 2025 compensatory pick.
In fitting Cowboys fashion, they are planning to start Rush. Mike McCarthy made that abundantly clear in his Monday presser.
Cowboys will start Cooper Rush in place of the injured Dak Prescott
Cowboys backup QB Cooper Rush will be the starter this week in place of Dak Prescott (hamstring). Rush is 5-1 as a starter.
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 4, 2024
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said they have “great confidence” in Rush.
“Cooper Rush is as respected of a backup quarterback that I’ve (been around) since…
We obviously don't know how Lance is viewed in the building. It's possible Dallas believes Lance is a lost cause in terms of developing into a starting quarterback. The preseason certainly didn't lend any evidence to that, but Lance also hasn't had enough reps to prove himself.
Jerry Jones sold hopium to Cowboys fans after Sunday's loss by hinting the team could be buyers leading up to Tuesday's trade deadline. For whatever reason, Jones isn't ready to give up on the 2024 season even though Dallas is 3-5 and their next three opponents have a combined 19-7 record.
While Rush is 5-1 in his career as an NFL starter, this iteration of the Cowboys isn't nearly as talented as those other teams. Even if Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland manage to return this Sunday against the Eagles, this is still a deeply-flawed and poorly-coached team.
Furthermore, CeeDee Lamb is dealing with an AC joint sprain. Lamb is optimistic about playing Sunday, but there's little reason to believe Rush can keep Dallas afloat while Prescott recovers.
While one week of Rush doesn't mean Lance won't see the field for the rest of the season, the Cowboys missed the mark by starting Rush.
We understand he's the backup and Lance is the third-stringer, but Dallas finally has a chance to see if Lance can develop into a backup. Even if they have no desire to bring him back in 2025, it's possible he can fetch them a potential comp pick with a strong finish to the campaign. That will only happen if he's given enough reps.
Let's hope the Cowboys are doing right by the veteran Rush and internally plan to pivot to Lance in short order.