The Cowboys’ first game of the 2022 NFL season couldn’t have gone much worse. Dallas’ offense looked helpless in a 19-3 defeat at the hands of the Buccaneers and in the game’s final stages, the team lost its starting quarterback.
Dak Prescott exited the game late in the fourth quarter after hitting his hand a couple of times on defenders while making throws. He was grabbing his throwing hand while on the sideline and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation.
Ultimately, it was revealed that Prescott suffered a thumb fracture; he will miss 6-8 weeks as a result of the injury.
“It’s very disappointing, but injuries happen, can’t necessarily control it, just unfortunate,” Prescott said after the game, per ESPN. “Obviously going to miss some time, not be there for my team and that’s what hurts more than anything, especially after the start we just put out there. Wanted to be able to respond, and not necessarily having that opportunity for several weeks, yeah it’s unfortunate.”
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Losing Prescott is a worst-case scenario for the Cowboys considering that they had already lost a lot of offensive talent during the 2022 offseason due to departures and injuries. Amari Cooper, Connor Williams and La’el Collins all left via trade and free agency while Tyron Smith, Michael Gallup and James Washington are currently injured.
Prescott was supposed to help bridge the gap and elevate other members of the Dallas offense. Instead, the Cowboys will have to turn to their backup quarterbacks to carry them.
Here’s a breakdown of what Dallas’ depth chart looks like at quarterback with Prescott out of action.
Cowboys QB depth chart
The Cowboys currently have two quarterbacks on their organizational depth chart outside of Prescott. Their names won’t be all that familiar to casual NFL fans.
1. Cooper Rush
Rush is currently the backup quarterback for the Cowboys. The 28-year-old veteran signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017 and has largely remained in Dallas since that time. He had a brief, five-month stop with the Giants in 2020 but rejoined the Cowboys later that fall shortly after Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury.
Rush has started just one game during his career. That came last season in Week 8 against the Vikings, a game that Prescott missed due to a lingering calf injury. Rush carried himself well in that start, completing 24 of 40 passes for 325 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He led Dallas to a 20-16 win in that contest.
The Cowboys have Rush signed to their practice squad and chose to elevate him to serve as Prescott’s backup during their first game. It seems likely they will sign him to the 53-man roster with their regular starter out and hand the job over to him.
2. Will Grier
Rush is the more experienced backup in Dallas’ organization, but he isn’t the team’s only quarterback option. The Cowboys also have Will Grier on the practice squad and could give him a chance to start if Rush struggles in more extensive action.
Grier was a third-round pick by the Panthers in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he hasn’t found success at the NFL level yet. He started two games for Carolina in 2019 and was woeful, completing 53.8 percent of his passes for 228 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Panthers waived Grier ahead of the 2021 NFL season and the Cowboys scooped him up. While the 27-year-old still has some upside, there’s a reason that he went unclaimed after Dallas waived him during final roster cuts in 2022. He is currently the favorite to serve as Rush’s backup, but it’s unclear whether the Cowboys will add another quarterback to compete with him short-term.
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Could the Cowboys add another quarterback?
Dallas currently has just Rush and Grier available within its organization. Both began the 2022 NFL season on the practice squad, so it doesn’t seem that the Cowboys are overly confident in either taking over as a starter.
With that said, the Cowboys could consider adding another quarterback to the rotation if only to improve upon their depth. Dallas has been tied to Cam Newton in the past, so the Cowboys could consider the former Panthers and Patriots starter if they want to add veteran depth at the position.
If Dallas wants a player who is a bit more familiar with the system, it could bring back Ben DiNucci, a seventh-round pick by the team in 2020 who was waived as a part of final roster cuts this season. He remains an unsigned free agent and could be inked to a practice squad deal.
There are a couple of other veteran options the Cowboys could pursue, but they aren’t guaranteed to look for help outside of the organization. And even if they do, it could prove hard to find a quarterback who will be able to keep the team afloat for the 6-8 weeks that Prescott is out.
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