Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Would Welcome Quarterback Controversy

Cooper Rush is starting for Dallas while Dak Prescott recovers from surgery on a broken thumb.

While quarterback Dak Prescott remains out of action for the Cowboys, the keys to the offense have been handed over to Cooper Rush. But whenever Prescott is ready to return to the field, at least one prominent voice within the organization hopes that Rush isn’t so quick to hand the reins back to the face of the franchise.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he was hoping for a quarterback controversy once Prescott was able to play again, as it would mean that Rush performed well and the team was having success.

“Of course I would,” Jones said when asked about his desire for a quarterback controversy, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “Of course, that means we’ve won. If he comes in and plays as well as Prescott plays—if Rush played that well over these next games ahead, I’d walk to New York to get that.”

Rush performed well in his first start of the season on Sunday, guiding Dallas to a 20-17 home win over the Bengals. He completed 19 of 31 pass attempts for 235 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers, and went 3-for-3 (not counting a deliberate spike to stop the clock) for 30 yards during the Cowboys’ game-winning drive, which culminated with a 50-yard field goal by Brett Maher as time expired.

Of course, Jones and the Cowboys just signed Prescott to a four-year, $160 million contract extension that includes $126 million in guaranteed money, which would be a hefty price tag for a backup quarterback. Regardless of how well Rush plays in Prescott’s absence, it would qualify as an enormous surprise if Rush retained the starting job longer than necessary.

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