DALLAS, Texas – Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy ruled quarterback Dak Prescott out for Sunday’s home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, an inter-division rival.
Prescott is expected to miss multiple games due to a hamstring injury that forced him to take the sidelines in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss against the Atlanta Falcons.
During a press conference, McCarthy said backup quarterback Cooper Rush would be Prescott’s replacement for the time being.
Here are five things to know about Rush ahead of his start this weekend.
1.) He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas.
Rush was a backup at Central Michigan his freshman year until Cody Kater was injured at the start of the 2013 season and second-string quarterback Alex Niznak struggled in his first bit of action on the field. He took on the starting role after that.
Rush finished his college football career as a senior in 2016 with 49 straight starts. Throughout his college career with the Chippewas, Rush recorded 12,891 passing yards, 90 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.
2.) Rush was an undrafted free agent.
Rush was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on May 12 after being unselected in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys’ quarterback room made way for Rush after Zac Dysert was injured during the preseason. Dallas signed Luke McCown to compete for a quarterback spot, but he was released after preseason.
Rush secured the third-string quarterback role behind Prescott and Kellen Moore, now the Eagles' offensive coordinator. However, Moore was released mid-season which bumped Rush to the second-string position.
3.) He holds a 5-1 record as a starter in the NFL.
In 30 games across a seven-year span, Rush holds a 5-1 record as a starter for the Cowboys.
In 2021, Rush led Dallas to a 20-16 comeback victory over the Vikings in Minnesota. He threw for 25 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2022, Rush recorded a 4-1 record for the Cowboys after Prescott underwent a fracture in the thumb on his throwing hand.
His lone loss? The Philadelphia Eagles.
In his NFL career, Rush has recorded 1,786 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions.
4.) Rush has his name in the NFL record books.
With a win over the Rams on Oct. 9, 2022, Rush became only the 14th quarterback in NFL history to claim victory in his first five career starts.
5.) He has a two-year contract with the Cowboys.
After displaying solid performances in 2021 and 2022, Rush agreed to a two-year contract deal with Dallas in 2023.
The $6 million contract guaranteed Rush $2.75 million.