Dallas Cowboys stick with Cooper Rush over Trey Lance after blowout loss to Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys have announced their future quarterback plans on Cooper Rush and Trey Lance following the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. On Monday, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said they are moving forward with Rush as their starting QB. This comes as Dak Prescott will likely undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring, pending the opinion of one final specialist.

Cooper Rush and Trey Lance struggled to get anything going in the Cowboys’ 34-6 loss to the Eagles. Rush completed 13 of his 23 passes for 45 yards, and Lance completed four of his 6 passes for 21 yards and one interception. The combined 66 passing yards on Sunday is the Cowboys’ lowest total of the 2024 season. With that and five turnovers on offense, it was a very long Sunday for Dallas.

“It can snowball fast when you don’t take care of the ball…” Rush said, per the Cowboys’ official website. “We had a chance with the defense playing well to overcome those coming out of halftime and we just didn’t.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Mike McCarthy said. “Even on teams that I was on as an assistant, I don’t recall ever having back-to-back home games with five giveaways.”

Mike McCarthy shares thoughts on Cooper Rush and Trey Lance

Despite the tough showing on Sunday, Rush has been a solid QB for the Cowboys. In seven starts, Rush has a 5-2 record, including a 4-1 record during the 2022 season when Prescott was dealing with a thumb injury.

“Cooper Rush is as respected as a backup quarterback as anyone since, I’d say Rich Gannon,” McCarthy said last week. “He carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone you can see the young guys lean on — wicked smart, instinctive and does a great job when he runs the scout team.”

Lance was traded to the Cowboys from the San Francisco 49ers last year. He did not see any action in 2023 and is looking to see more on-field action since he will be a free agent at the end of the year.

“Trey Lance just needs to play,” McCarthy told reporters. “I know I probably said that 20 times over the course of the preseason, and I think the fact he was able to get game reps. You look at Trey, from the time he arrived, and the things he had to work on, footwork-wise and concept-wise, but another excellent, excellent teammate. He’s a big part of our quarterback room and the way we function.”