Feb. 3, 2026, 10:58 p.m. CT

Once upon a time the Dallas Cowboys had a completely competent backup quarterback on their roster. It was a backup capable of holding the fort in case injury befell Dak Prescott. It was a backup even capable of hitting a bigtime throw from time to time. It was a backup who finished his Cowboys career with a 9-5 record and gave Dallas the confidence their season could survive a temporary injury to their QB1.

That QB was none other than Cooper Rush and from 2020 to 2024 he started a total of 14 games for the Cowboys, posting a win percentage of 64.3. In 2022, specifically, he played a critical role in getting the Cowboys to postseason. In that campaign he went 4-1 in what would eventually be a 12-win season for Dallas. It would go down as Mike McCarthy’s most successful season with the Cowboys, blowing out Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in the wild card round and eventually losing by seven points to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round.

During his time in Dallas, Rush proved the importance of having competent and reliable play at QB2. The Baltimore Ravens seemed to think so since they signed Rush in free agency of last year to a two-year, $6,250,000 contract to back up Lamar Jackson.

But things didn’t go so well for Rush in Baltimore. Rush was unable to reproduce his success with the Cowboys and stumbled to a 0-2 record as the Ravens starter. He posted just 125.5 yards per game, throwing a combined four interceptions with zero touchdowns. His efforts effectively bumped him to QB3 and now puts him on the chopping block in 2026.

If made a post June cut, the Ravens could save $1,098,000 against the cap by releasing Rush this year. Rush always looked like an ill-fit behind the dual threat Jackson and now looks like a possible roster cut this offseason. If so, the Cowboys would be wise to give Rush a call.

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With all due respect to Joe Milton and his impressive skillset, but the two-year vet doesn’t appear to be a guy equipped to hold down the fort in case of an extended Prescott absence. Prescott has missed five or more games in three of the last six seasons so durability and depth at the QB position need to be considered for the Cowboys in 2026.

After such a poor 2025 season, it’s hard to imagine the 32-year-old Rush will be in high demand on the open market. The Cowboys could likely secure his services on the cheap and gain a touch of security in the process.

With a physical skillset that can’t be taught, Milton still deserves to be on the roster. The developmental prospect out of Tennessee has a ceiling that demands patience. The good news is a veteran like Rush does little to block that development. Rush isn’t a player that demands constant practice reps because he’s generally seen as a finished product. In the preseason, when most backup QBs get more of their development, Milton would likely dominate the snap count at QB. Prescott rarely, if ever, plays in the preseason and Rush doesn’t require much either. A Rush reunion is just a hypothetical at this point but it’s one which offers the best of both worlds.

For as unexciting as a Cooper Rush-Cowboys reunion sounds, it’s something that’s entirely possible and could very well end up saving a season.

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