The Cooper Rush era in Dallas has officially come to a close.
The former Cowboys backup quarterback agreed to a two-year contract worth up to $12 million with the Baltimore Ravens and will now join another team for the first time in his career.
Rush is coming off the best season of his career after playing in a career-high 12 games, throwing for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions.
These appearances also resulted in a 4-4 record in the eight games that Rush started.
Despite Rush’s impressive performances for the Cowboys last year, the team opted against starting him in the season finale, effectively denying him a contract incentive worth $250,000, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Rush’s departure leaves a meaningful hole on the Cowboys’ roster heading into the 2025 season, as Dallas currently has only Will Grier signed to back up Dak Prescott.
The backup quarterback has been a significant piece of the Cowboys’ roster over the last few seasons due to multiple injuries suffered by Prescott, resulting in him missing most of the season in two of the last five seasons.
In previous seasons, these injuries have been less concerning due to the reliance on Rush, as he has managed to collect a record of 9-5 across games he has started in the last five years.
Dallas will likely select a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones previously stated that one goal for the team is to “get a young quarterback in the draft.”
“I don’t know where that’s going to be. That’s why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think,” he explained, per Sports Illustrated.
Potential options for the Cowboys in the draft include Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers or Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord. Both players are expected to be selected late in the draft and have a similar playstyle to Prescott.
Although the Cowboys must fill much bigger holes on the roster during the draft, remaining competent as a backup quarterback will be incredibly important for the future of this franchise.