Cowboys QB depth chart: Cooper Rush to start, Trey Lance new No. 2 after Dak Prescott injury | Sporting News United Kingdom

The Cowboys lost more than just a game in Week 9. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott and star wideout CeeDee Lamb both picked up injuries during the contest. While Lamb came out of the game OK, Prescott will need more time to recover. 

After the game, adrenaline was running high, and Prescott was able to limp back to the locker room under his own power. There was hope the injury that knocked him out of the game was mild, and he could shake it. Testing Monday reportedly showed that wasn’t the case. 

Prescott is expected to miss multiple weeks due to the injury, and the Cowboys are even debating adding him to Injured Reserve. Who will fill in while Prescott is sidelined? The Sporting News explains.

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Dallas Cowboys QB Depth chart

Cooper Rush

Rush went to Central Michigan from 2012-2016. He went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft and signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Rush was with Dallas for three years but then was claimed by the New York Giants off waivers in 2020. They added him to their practice squad but then released him in late September. 

Dallas signed Rush a month later to the practice squad and quickly elevated him to the active roster that season as Prescott and then-backup Andy Dalton were both out with injuries. Since then, Rush has served as Prescott’s backup, taking over whenever the starter has missed time with an injury.

Trey Lance

Lance played his college ball at North Dakota State. He was an interesting prospect when he came out in the 2021 draft class. Lance showed flashes, but only played 19 games in college. Still, he had plenty of analysts and teams believing in him. Lance was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft as the 49ers traded up to select him. 

He played in only six games as a rookie, largely backing up Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance played in two games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Brock Purdy eventually took over the offense and Lance was unable to get it back from him. With how good Purdy had looked, San Francisco decided to trade Lance to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-round pick. 

Lance has yet to play for Dallas but may get his chance with Prescott’s injury. 

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QB options via trade or free agency

Derek Carr (trade)

The New Orleans Saints lost to the Carolina Panthers in Week 9, marking the team’s seventh-straight loss. The franchise responded by firing Dennis Allen, but that could be just the first of many changes coming to the roster this week. 

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. If the Saints are committed to getting a high draft pick and decide to punt toward next season, now is the time to make moves. The roster has extreme salary restrictions next season, and moving Carr would alleviate some of that burden while giving the team some picks to rebuild quickly.

Carr has also lost the support of the New Orleans faithful as they blame his passes for the multitude of injuries to the team’s wide receivers. 

Ryan Tannehill (free agent)

Tannehill was most recently with the Tennessee Titans, but hasn’t played so far in 2024. Any time a quarterback has picked up an injury this season, Tannehill is among the first name thrown out by analysts. Earlier this season, Tannehill said he would return to the NFL for the right opportunity. It’s unclear how soon he could be game-ready if the Cowboys decide to sign him.

Joshua Dobbs (trade)

Dobbs is no stranger to changing teams. He was with the Steelers from 2017-2019 and from 2020-2021. Outside of that, he has bounced around the Jaguars, Browns, Lions, Titans, Cardinals and Vikings. He is currently the third-string quarterback for the 49ers, so he would likely require a future late-round pick in a trade. 

WEEK 10 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers

Upcoming Cowboys schedule

Dallas is 3-5 heading into Week 10. The Cowboys have already had their bye week and risk losing the season if Prescott is indeed sidelined for multiple weeks. Here is who Dallas has on its upcoming schedule. If Prescott does hit Injured Reserve, he would have to miss four mandatory games, so that will be something to watch.