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Cowboys News: Garrett Gilbert, Ben Dinucci Cut; Cooper Rush to Be Prescott's Backup
August 31, 2021
The Dallas Cowboys cut quarterbacks Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci, paving the way for Cooper Rush to serve as the primary backup to Dak Prescott.
The Cowboys announced the roster moves ahead of Tuesday's deadline for teams to pare rosters down to 53 players. Gilbert, DiNucci and Rush battled for the backup job in training camp, which served as one of the top preseason storylines while Prescott struggled with a shoulder injury.
Rush was Prescott's backup from 2017-19 before the team signed Andy Dalton last season. It's possible the Cowboys look into a more reliable option if they're uncertain about Prescott's health this season, with a trade for Nick Foles—currently sitting third on the Chicago Bears' depth chart—standing out as the most obvious answer.
"I just think he's shown that he can run the complete offense," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Rush on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (h/t Fort Worth Star-Telegram). "Credit to him. He had some tough competition. Those guys didn't cut him any slack. He's had a lot of reps. All of our quarterbacks had because of the absence of Dak. All of those things make us feel real comfortable here."
Rush, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, has thrown only three NFL passes. He threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns without an interception during the preseason and was the only Cowboys quarterback to not throw a pick.
