Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has made it clear that quarterback Dak Prescott will return to the starting job as soon as he’s healthy. But the more McCarthy sees backup Cooper Rush play, the more similar they appear to him.
Speaking to the media this week, McCarthy revealed that playing Rush has not required the team to take a wildly different approach to the offense. One big thing McCarthy pointed out was that Dak and Rush have a “very similar” ability to call audibles.
“We haven’t changed our approach,” McCarthy said, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “I would put us on the high side of being aggressive at the line of scrimmage, whether it’s with Dak or with Cooper.”
Thus far, Rush has proven McCarthy right, leading the Cowboys on back-to-back wins in his two starts while Dak continues to recover from his hand injury.
Through three games this season Cooper Rush has completed 62.7-percent of his passes for 514 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He’s done just enough to manage the game and keep the Cowboys in their tough games against the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants.
Rush will play this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Dak Prescott is expected back for their Week 5 clash with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
If Rush can play a great game against the Commanders this weekend, he could be in for a big payday in the ensuing offseason.
But unless Dak Prescott regresses terribly, it seems unlikely that Rush will even challenge for the starting job, let alone take it from Dak.
At least, that’s what the Cowboys are indicating right now.