Starting QB Revealed: Jones Breaks Down Decision to Start Cooper Rush Ahead of Trey Lance
Cooper Rush has delivered two straight underwhelming showings as the Cowboys starting QB, leading to some calls for Trey Lance to take over atop the depth chart. If owner/GM Jerry Jones has his way, the Cowboys will continue to roll with their current quarterback hierarchy. Jones told reporters that he thinks Rush offers the team the “best chance” to win.
“I don’t know about that,” Jones said about Lance as a starter, via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. “I want to give our team the very best chance it can — in all phases — to be successful. So, we’re going to go here with the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win the game.”
Since Rush took over for an injured Dak Prescott in Week 9, the fill-in has completed 58 of 103 pass attempts (56.31 percent) for 514 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The Cowboys have dropped each of those three games, and the offense has only found the end zone twice over that span.
Rush did provide a spark while filling in for Prescott in 2022, guiding the Cowboys to a 4-1 record. But with a career completion percentage below 60 percent, a 10/6 career touchdown/interception ratio, and little rushing upside, it seems unlikely that the former UDFA can engineer a similar run in 2024.
As for Lance, the Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for the former third overall pick ahead of the 2023 campaign. Lance has only seen the field for one regular-season game across his one-plus seasons in Dallas. That came this past weekend, when he completed four of six passes while tossing an interception. The Cowboys staff sees Lance every day at practice, so they presumably haven’t gotten enough from the young QB to warrant a promotion to QB1.
While Lance will continue to serve as the backup, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll receive all DNPs. Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that the Cowboys have a package prepared for the fourth-year player, an option that could be used as soon as this Sunday against the Commanders, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
