For a team renowned for sleepwalking through the first and second waves of free agency, we suppose you can say the Dallas Cowboys have gotten busy this week.
Whether they've been busy enough is a different story, however, and action is needed after they traded standout defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to the San Francisco 49ers.
Free agency has been full of curveballs thus far, and Dallas' signing of former Eagles and Commanders quarterback Sam Howell on Day 2 was no exception. Howell figures to provide competition for the backup job, which currently belongs to Joe Milton.
The Cowboys rolled the dice by trading for Milton last offseason after not retaining longtime backup Cooper Rush. Moving on from Rush felt like the right move at the time, and the front office received more vindication after the Baltimore Ravens released him on Thursday.
The Ravens have released QB Cooper Rush.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 12, 2026
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush is back on the market
Rush provided steady backup play in Dallas for seven seasons. He was an impressive 9-7 in 16 starts, which included going 4-1 in five starts after Dak Prescott fractured his thumb in Week 1 of the 2022 season.
A lot of Cowboys fans wanted Rush back for the 2025 season, but it was time for the team to get younger behind Dak Prescott.
Milton still has plenty of development ahead of him, but he has the mindset to absorb tough coaching. Whether it all comes together remains to be seen, but the flashes are mesmerizing. His arm strength is right up there with any quarterback, and his athleticism makes him difficult to bring down both inside and outside the pocket.
The tools are there with the former Tennessee star. Now it’s about cleaning up the finer details, like cleaner footwork, avoiding staring down receivers, and putting touch on intermediate throws. The good news is he's under team control for two more years, which is another feather in Dallas' cap.
For how raw Milton is, he's currently a better player than Rush, who looked lost with Baltimore this past season. In four starts, he averaged a lowly 5.8 yards per attempt, 75.8 yards per game and zero touchdowns to four interceptions.
Three of those INTs occurred in Rush's first start in Week 5. The 32-year-old was benched in the fourth quarter the following week after completing 11 of 19 passes for 72 yards and a pick.
It'll be interesting to see if another team is willing to give Rush a shot. There are not a lot of good quarterback rooms in the NFL, but the Cowboys are the exception with Dak Prescott, Joe Milton, and Sam Howell.
Suffice it to say a Rush reunion isn't happening.