Don't blink: the Dallas Cowboys are expressing confidence in QB Cooper Rush

FRISCO — Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker wasn’t in the NFL the last time Cooper Rush was thrusted into action for a meaningful — and successful — stretch of time. Despite that lack of firsthand experience, Schoonmaker still sees the value in it.

“I think it really allows us to not blink at all,” Schoonmaker said, speaking for the Cowboys’ offense.

Good, because if you blink then you just might miss Rush.

““If you guys see a quick flash of red on Sunday, don’t be afraid,” fellow Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson said on Thursday as reporters talked with Rush. “It’s just number 10.”

And No. 10 has a big challenge ahead of him. As do the Cowboys.

Dallas, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones candidly acknowledged on Sunday, isn’t having the best of times right now. The Cowboys are 3-5 heading into a three-game stretch that includes two first-place teams and one of their biggest rivals: the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys will get the rising Eagles at home on Sunday.

While the Eagles rise, the Cowboys are seemingly falling — at least on the depth chart. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott is out this week and potentially — and likely — more as he tries to find a way to avoid injured reserve for the hamstring avulsion he’s dealing with currently.

That means Rush will make his first start since 2022. He went 4-1 in that stretch and helped the Cowboys stay afloat in a season that ended with a trip to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the confidence in Rush goes beyond that.

“Cooper Rush is respected as a backup quarterback that I would say since Rich Gannon when I was with Rich in the 90s with the Kansas City Chiefs,” McCarthy said. “He carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone you can see the young guys lean on. He’s wicked smart, instinctive. Does a great job when he runs the scout team. He just does everything the right now. He’s an excellent pro. There will be plenty of confidence in him.”

That’s also despite not having a ton of in-game experience recently. Prior to Sunday’s second half against Atlanta, Rush hadn’t thrown more than 11 passes in a game since his 2022 run. That 11 came in a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions just a few weeks ago.

Rush came in down two possessions against the Falcons on Sunday and threw a lot in a little bit of time. He completed 13-of-25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a 2-point conversion to CeeDee Lamb.

“Obviously, we’ve connected,” Lamb said. “We’ve taken a lot of reps outside of practice, just talking, communicating, getting on the same page. I feel that’s very important with the situation that’s coming up. I’m happy for him, obviously. We know what Coop can do. The confidence is still there. Stand in there and deliver.”

That’s simply what Rush is trying to do.

As a backup quarterback, Rush said weeks like this are why he comes to work every day and prepares. He said the process is similar to a week as a backup, only this time he’ll be getting more reps in practice. He said that he feels older, more engrained in the Cowboys’ system, and better.

And even though his last run as a backup was two years ago, that still holds value to him.

“A ton,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I mean the more games you play, the more reps you bank, you put in your library, you draw on those. So feel confident in that. Been around here for a while. Played with a lot of these guys before, which is huge when you’re out there with live bullets, trusting those guys. Being out there with them is big.”