Cowboys QB Answer to 'Cooper Rush vs. Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo' Tells A Story

Is the Cowboys starting quarterback position up for grabs while Dak Prescott's surgically repaired thumb heals?

FRISCO - As the collective breaths of Dallas Cowboys fans everywhere were held on Sunday night, starting quarterback Dak Prescott ran to the locker room for x-rays. 

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones must've already been thinking about next week and the next man up, Cooper Rush. Meanwhile, Cowboys fans and media that have speculated for years now about the team's unwillingness to prioritize a strong backup at the quarterback position in Dallas were, and are, given barroom-argument fodder.

The Jones family has long been open about their support of Cooper Rush and whoever fills that No. 2 roster spot behind Prescott. And rarely has that confidence been put to the test. 

Until recently, that is.

Two seasons ago it was put to the ultimate test when Prescott went down in Week 5 against the New York Giants and was lost for the season. But the Cowboys were prepared in 2020, having signed long-time NFL starter Andy Dalton as an insurance policy late in the offseason for if and when Prescott went down.

While Dalton did not play especially well that year, only when Dalton himself went down was the depth at the position truly questioned.

Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci both filled in at the quarterback position that season and the Cowboys finished the year with a 6-10 mark.

Last season, Cooper Rush won the backup role in camp. When Prescott was again injured and forced to sit out, Rush filled in nicely, winning a road game in Minnesota.

This season was much of the same talk during camp, and Rush and Will Grier came out of camp as the Nos. 2 and 3 quarterbacks respectively. Now, Prescott will miss more time, although maybe less than the 6-8 weeks originally feared, and the Cowboys are sticking with Cooper Rush.

Regardless of names like Cam Newton and Jimmy Garoppolo being attached to the Cowboys since Sunday night, the Jones family appears happy with the current quarterback situation.

Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday for his weekly visit with Shan and RJ, and dismissed any ideas of the Cowboys trading for or signing a veteran presence to fill in during Prescott's absence - thus confirming CowboysSI.com's Monday scoop on the subject.

Jones indicated that any increase in talent that would be gained from signing a veteran presence over Rush, would be eliminated by the player's unfamiliarity with the system and that the team thinks "Rush and Grier give us our best shot" to win.

What could be good news for fans, Jones feels confident that Prescott could return sometime in the next four games, as the team did not place him on the IR.

While Cowboys fans are still reeling at the thought of the Dallas season being done before it ever got started, the Jones family remains ever-optimistic, as always. But the question dangles in the air: Are the Cowboys sticking with Rush because they truly believe? Or are the Cowboys unwilling to seek improvement at the position because of either the cost ... or a lack of belief?

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