The Dallas Cowboys have been playing coy this week over their intentions of who will line up under center in Week 9. In the middle of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, head coach Mike McCarthy has refused to announce who would start between Garrett Gilbert and Cooper Rush, two quarterbacks signed over the last couple of weeks since the devastating ankle injury suffered by Dak Prescott.
After Andy Dalton was concussed in his second start, the team moved to seventh-round selection Ben DiNucci who had a hideous performance in Week 8’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was clearly not returning to the starting lineup against the Pittsburgh Steelers so it was down to the two journeyman. On Saturday it’s been announced, Gilbert will get the nod.
The #Cowboys plan to start QB Garrett Gilbert on Sunday against the #Steelers, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Gilbert has gotten the majority of reps this week in practice. Assuming all goes well today, Gilbert starts and Cooper Rush backs him up.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 7, 2020
The Cowboys have one final practice on Saturday before taking on the undefeated Steelers.
Neither Gilbert or Rush have a lot of NFL experience, but Gilbert has been around the block more recently, as he was the best quarterback in the now defunct AAF. In the NFL, he’s thrown just six passes, completing two. Rush, who backed up Prescott from 2017 through 2019, has thrown just three passes, completing one for two yards.
He is more familiar with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, playing for him last season. Moore was also the QB coach in 2018 and a teammate of Rush in 2017.
On Catch This Fade this week, the argument was made that with an eye towards gathering evidence for who can help most in 2021 as a potential Prescott backup, Gilbert has more upside and thus deserved the chance to start.
It will likely be a short leash as the 2-6 Cowboys are already playing out the string of the season, even if they aren’t admitting it publicly or to themselves.