EAGAN, Minn. – Sunday night’s primetime Halloween showdown is about to commence. A little over an hour before kickoff, the situation is finalized: backup Cooper Rush will make his NFL debut for Dallas under center.
Both Rush and veteran starter Dak Prescott prepared to start during the week against the Vikings, but the Cowboys’ coaching/medical staff made the determination following Prescott’s pregame warmup at U.S. Bank Stadium. He suffered a right calf strain in the final play of the team’s overtime win against the Patriots and went through extensive rehab with athletic trainer Britt Brown during the week. He took first team walkthrough reps under the watchful eye of head coach Mike McCarthy and Rush took first team reps during the team period in preparation for the Vikings.
After Prescott ramped up his workout on Thursday with change of direction drills, drop backs, and handoffs at full speed, he was sore heading into Friday morning. The Cowboys have sided with caution. Dallas has a 3.5 game lead in the division with Super Bowl aspirations. The safer option was to start Rush and let Prescott – the offense’s most valuable asset – rest for an additional week to minimize risk and prevent any lingering issues.
Rush went undrafted in 2017 out of Central Michigan and made the Cowboys’ roster as the third-string quarterback behind Prescott and Kellen Moore, the team’s current offensive coordinator. During his first preseason debut, Rush impressed completing 38 of 51 passes for 398 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. With Prescott’s reliability on the field, Rush took minimal live-action reps, completing 1 of 3 passes in his NFL career for two yards in 2017.
Rush was released last year upon the signing of veteran Andy Dalton and was signed back to the team’s practice squad. Garrett Gilbert was the Cowboys’ primary backup throughout training camp and took the majority of the team’s first team reps after Prescott suffered a right shoulder strain during the first padded practice in Oxnard. However, after stringing together solid outings during the 2021 preseason, Rush won the backup job and beat out Gilbert in September.
“He really makes outstanding decisions, and he gives us the ability, to maximize our supporting cast around him,” Jerry Jones said via 105.3 The Fan on Rush. “We don’t have to compromise anything, whether it be receivers, running backs, or tight ends. And we got the full playbook with him…we’ve had a good mental going over relative to, ‘Well, would we be better off with some other solution to Dak not being out there?’ And the answer is no unanimously, whether it be the players, the coaches, Dak. Everybody has a lot of confidence in Cooper.”
Other injury notes:
Left tackle Tyron Smith has been limited all week due to a left ankle injury he sustained at New England. He rolled his ankle during the win in Foxborough, but the bye week helped accelerate his healing process. Smith was listed as questionable to start against the Vikings but will be active.
Wide receiver Michael Gallup has looked impressive on routes since his return to practice at the Star following the calf injury, but he will not start against the Vikings. Stephen Jones said earlier in the week on 105.3 The Fan that Gallup is “right round the corner,” but is still a week away. Defensive tackle Trysten Hill (knee, PUP) will also not be activated for the meeting against the Vikings. He practiced for the first time this week since his ACL tear against the Giants on Oct. 11 and although his progress has been encouraging, he will need longer to reacclimate himself. Mike McCarthy told media Hill is “chomping at the bit to get back out there.”
Rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph is set to make his NFL debut. The Cowboys activated Joseph from the Injured Reserve/Designated to Return list ahead of the NFC meeting in Minneapolis. He will likely make his start on special teams and can provide depth at corner. The Kentucky product suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason and will gradually be worked into the mix.
