Cooper Rush’s record, stats and more through three starts originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Well, nobody saw this coming.
Fresh off an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott was diagnosed with a thumb injury that required surgery.
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That put backup Cooper Rush into the spotlight. Just days after he was called up from the practice squad, he was suddenly tasked with keeping Dallas afloat until Prescott could return.
After consecutive victories to move the Cowboys to 2-1, Rush has done his job and then some. Before Prescott returns in the coming weeks, let’s learn a little bit more about the 28-year-old Rush:
What is Cooper Rush’s record as a starter?
Sports
In three career starts, Rush is a perfect 3-0.
His debut start was in 2021 against the Vikings in Minneapolis, with the Cowboys winning 20-16 on Sunday Night Football. In relief of Prescott this season, he’s 2-0 with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 (20-17) and New York Giants in Week 3 (23-16).
What are Cooper Rush’s stats as a starter?
For a backup quarterback, Rush has been surprisingly solid in the box score through three starts. Here are his game logs so far…
First start: 24 for 40, 325 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, fumble lost
Second start: 19 for 31, 235 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Third start: 21 for 31, 215 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Over his three starts combined, Rush is 64 of 102 (62.7%) for 775 passing yards (258.3 per game), four touchdowns and two turnovers (one interception, one fumble). He’s yet to record a turnover in his two starts in 2022.
What is Cooper Rush’s salary?
The Cowboys cut Rush on Aug. 30, 2022 and signed him to the practice squad. But once Prescott was injured, he signed a new deal on the active roster. Rush’s one-year contract for 2022 pays him a base salary of $1.035 million (per Spotrac).
Since signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Rush has been cut four times by Dallas and the Giants. He was the Cowboys’ second-string quarterback from 2017 through 2019 before getting waived in favor of Andy Dalton in 2020.
After that, Rush was claimed by the Giants, where he was waived on Sept. 5, 2020, then signed to the practice squad, then waived again on Sept. 29, 2020.
He rejoined the Cowboys’ practice squad the following month, and he was on the active roster throughout the 2021 season.
So, in parts of six seasons with the Cowboys and Giants, he has earned $3,999,429. This season is his first making over $1 million.
What is Cooper Rush’s height and weight?
Rush measures in at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, which is comparable to Prescott (6-foot-2, 238 pounds).
Where did Cooper Rush go to college?
Central Michigan.
Rush was a four-year starter for the Chippewas, making 49 consecutive starts to close his career from 2013 to 2016.
In 50 career games, Rush totaled 12,891 passing yards, 90 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. Central Michigan went 6-6 (2013), 7-6 (2014), 7-6 (2015) and 6-7 (2016) in Rush’s four seasons, losing three straight bowl games from 2014 to 2016.
