Dallas Cowboys News & Rumors

Cowboys Designate Brandin Cooks, Marshawn Kneeland For Return

5:15pm: McCarthy confirmed that Bell will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, per Archer.

4:27pm: The Cowboys have designated wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland to return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Cooks landed on IR in early October with an infection resulting from a procedure on his injured knee, while Kneeland required surgery for a partially-torn lateral meniscus around the same time. Both players are now eligible to return to practice. Once they do, they have three weeks before they must be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to season-ending IR.

Cooks disappointed to start his second year in Dallas, catching just nine of 19 targets for 91 yards in four games. Jalen Tolbert and Kavontae Turpin have since surpassed the veteran in yards-per-game, so he may see a reduced role when he returns.

Kneeland, the 56th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, played in just five regular season games with 10 tackles and zero sacks before he injured his knee. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence went down around the same time, severely handicapping Dallas’ edge rotation over the last month. Parsons played in Weeks 10 and 11, but Lawrence remains on injured reserve, so Kneeland could be in line for expanded opportunities if he beats his veteran teammate back to the field.

Head coach Mike McCarthy also mentioned offensive lineman Chuma Edoga as a candidate to practice this week, per WFAA’s Ed Werner. Edoga was designated for return on November 13, but has yet to practice since injuring his toe in the preseason. McCarthy added that tight end Jake Ferguson is still progressing through concussion protocol.

The Cowboys will be without safety and core special teams contributor Markquese Bell for the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Bell dislocated his shoulder in Week 11 and could need surgery, which will land him on injured reserve in the coming days.

Top RB Prospect Ashton Jeanty Wants To Play For Cowboys

The situation is dire in Dallas: the Cowboys are 3-7 and Dak Prescott is out for the season after hamstring surgery. However, there’s a silver lining to the team’s losing record: a potential top-10 pick in the 2025 draft, where the right pick could help kickstart a return to relevance.

The Cowboys are currently slotted for the ninth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after losing their last five games. That could be high enough to nab Boise State running back and Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty, who recently said he wanted to be drafted by the Cowboys, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

“My family is all in Texas. Family being there, all the connections, all the relationships, I feel like that would just be the perfect city to play in,” Jeanty said.

Past players who have expressed a desire to end up in Dallas include first-rounders Ezekiel Elliott and Micah Parsons, who were drafted by the Cowboys in 2016 and 2021, respectively.

Jeanty is expected to be a first-round pick next year, though his exact draft spot will reignite a recurring league-wide debate about running back value. Many teams have stopped using premium resources in the draft and free agency on an oft-injured position that has taken a back seat in modern passing-focused offenses. However, several teams have found success after recent investments in their backfield, either via free agency – Derrick Henry in Baltimore, Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia – or the draft – Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit and Bijan Robinson in Atlanta.

The Cowboys have been on both ends of that spectrum in the last decade. They drafted Elliott with the fourth overall pick in 2016 and gave him an early extension in 2019 that would have kept him in Dallas until 2026. His six-year, $90MM deal included more than $50MM of guaranteed money, which remains a record for NFL running backs, per OverTheCap.

However, the Cowboys released Elliott after the 2022 season and have invested precious little in their backfield since. Current starter Rico Dowdle was an undrafted free agent signing in 2020 and Elliott returned this spring on a one-year, $2MM deal. 2023 fifth-round pick Deuce Vaughn doesn’t profile as a future lead back at 5-foot-6 and 176 pounds, and Dalvin Cook has only earned two elevations from the practice squad.

That leaves the future of Dallas’ running game in doubt, with plenty of touches to be taken that could belong to Jeanty if he falls to the Cowboys in the draft. He put together 2,892 yards and 26 touchdowns from scrimmage with an average of 6.7 yards per touch in his first two years at Boise State. This season, his FBS-leading 256 carries, 1,893 rushing yards, and 27 total touchdowns have placed him as a frontrunner in the Heisman race, which would only bolster his case to be a top-10 pick next April.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 12:

Arizona Cardinals

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Denver Broncos

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation from IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return from IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL K.T. Leveston (practice window opened Nov. 20)

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation from IR:

Eligible for activation from reserve/NFI list:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New England Patriots

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New Orleans Saints

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New York Giants

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook (released Oct. 31)

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

San Francisco 49ers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Designated for return:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/18/24

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived from IR: LB Deion Jennings

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

MarShawn Lloyd‘s path back to the Packers active roster has taken an unusual turn. The rookie third-round pick landed on IR in September with an ankle injury. He returned to practice last week but suffered appendicitis only a few days later, putting his activation within the 21-day window in doubt.

Worried that Lloyd wouldn’t be ready to play by his early-December activation deadline, the Packers consulted with the NFL about the best route forward (per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). That ultimately led to today’s transaction, which is only the start of several transactional machinations. As Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Lloyd will temporarily join the active roster before landing on the non-football injury list. That means he won’t count against the team’s roster limit until he’s healthy enough to return to the field.

Lloyd doesn’t have a return timetable from this recent setback. While the rookie entered the year as the hopeful RB2 behind Josh Jacobs, there’s a good chance he’ll also behind Emanuel Wilson for the stretch run of the season.

Examining Cowboys’ 2025 Financial Outlook

With Dak Prescott officially out for the remainder of the season, the chances of a turnaround on the Cowboys’ part are bleak. Sitting at 3-6 on the year, Dallas’ struggles with him in the lineup have left the goal of a playoff berth a rather difficult one for his replacement(s) under center to achieve.

Given the Cowboys’ distance from contention in the NFC East and the unlikeliness of a wild-card berth, attention has for many shifted to the coming offseason. Like every other team, the spring will require a number of critical decisions on Dallas’ part as owner and general manager Jerry Jones attempts to keep all three members of the Prescott-CeeDee LambMicah Parsons trio intact. As 2024 has illustrated, though, changes at a number of positions will be needed for a return to postseason contention to be possible.

An examination of Dallas’ salary cap and free agency situation reveals the number of key contributors who will need a new deal to remain with the franchise beyond 2024. Finding the funds to retain them while also managing Prescott and Lamb’s monster extensions signed before the start of this season and – after team and player put talks aside for the campaign – work out a second Parsons contract will be central in determining the Cowboys’ path for years to come.

A pair of franchise pillars headline Dallas’ upcoming free agent class. DeMarcus Lawrence and Zack Martin have combined for 13 Pro Bowls in their Cowboys careers, both of which date back to 2014. Each has played out multiple contracts past their respective rookie deals, and they could be in line for at least a short-term accord this spring. It remains to be seen if that will come from Dallas or if an unprecedented departure on the open market becomes possible.

Lawrence will be 33 at the start of the 2025 season, and age will obviously be a factor taken into consideration on the Cowboys’ part regarding upcoming negotiations. The former second-rounder previously played on a five-year, $105MM extension after receiving the franchise tag for the second time. That pact was followed by the three-year, $40MM one which is set to expire after this season.

The Boise State product was limited to only seven games in 2021, but he remained fully healthy for each of the following two seasons. Lawrence has been a starter when on the field this year, although a Lisfranc injury has kept him out of the lineup since September. With three sacks in four games in 2024, a repeat of his early-year production would help his market value (something which, of course, is also driven by his play against the run). Making another commitment to Lawrence would ensure stability along the edge but it would complicate the Cowboys’ other efforts with respect to Parsons in particular and their front seven in general.

Martin has also played on multiple veteran contracts, including a six-year, $84MM pact. Last offseason, the future Hall of Famer engaged in a training camp holdout and ultimately worked out a new agreement including a raise and signficant guarantees. A first-team All-Pro showing (the seventh of his career) justified that commitment on Dallas’ part, but it remains to be seen if another one will be in the picture.

In June, Martin said retirement will be a consideration after the 2024 campaign. He will be 34 at the start of next year should he elect to continue playing, and expectations will still be high if that winds up being the case. If the 2010s All-Decade team member were to hang up his cleats, Dallas would be forced to reset at the right guard spot just as the team did this past offseason after left tackle Tyron Smith departed. That position became an immediate draft priority (with Tyler Guyton being selected in the first round), and the same would be true along the interior if Martin needed to be replaced.

Given the nature of their respective contracts, void years are present for both Lawrence and Martin. If neither were to be retained – with no adjustments being made to their deals – they would account for a dead cap charge of over $24MM. That figure would kick in at the start of the 2025 league year in March, so re-signing one or both of them before that point would go a long way in determining Dallas’ outlook for the rest of the offseason.

A number of other position groups could see notable turnover shortly in the Cowboys’ case. That includes the quarterback spot; Prescott is under contract through 2028, but Cooper Rush and Trey Lance are both on track for free agency. The veteran is currently set to finish the year atop the depth chart, something which would leave Lance sidelined after that was also the case in 2023.

Dallas acquired Lance last offseason for a fourth-round pick, capital much lower in value than that which was invested in him by the 49ers. The former No. 3 selection did not see the field during his first year with his new team as Prescott remained healthy, but the door is now open to an audition period. Lance could have upside remaining given his age (24) and lack of regular season starts (four), although little time remains in the year for him to help his market value down the stretch. An inexpensive backup – from inside or outside the organization – will be required on Dallas’ part.

The team’s backfield figures to once again be a talking point this spring. The Cowboys have relied on Rico Dowdle as their lead back for the first time in his career this season. The former UDFA has already set a new personal best with 374 rushing yards, and his 4.5 yards per attempt average suggests he could be effective in a notable role beyond this season. Dowdle could make himself a priority for the Cowboys’ front office this offseason even if multiple outside running backs are targeted.

Provided that takes place through free agency or (as was anticipated last spring) the draft, Ezekiel Elliott faces an uncertain future. The former rushing champion returned to Dallas this offseason, but his regression in terms of efficiency has continued in 2024. Elliott has spoken with the organization about his usage this year, and an internal disciplinary measure resulted in him remaining away from the team from a road game earlier this month. A parting of ways could be mutually beneficial and pave the way for new backfield options.

A number of role players are also on track to hit the market in March. That includes Brandin Cooks, who scored eight touchdowns in his debut Cowboys campaign but he is currently on IR after being injured in September. 31 at the start of next season, Cooks is joined by Lamb as the only Dallas receiver not attached to a rookie contract. The trade acquisition of Jonathan Mingo provided the team with another young wideout option on the books beyond the current season, something which could lessen the need to retain Cooks as a vertical option in the passing game.

In the front seven, the likes of linebacker Eric Kendricks along with defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston are on expiring deals. The Cowboys enter Week 11 ranked 31st against the run, so a number of changes should be prioritized in the spring to improve in that respect. Significant turnover could therefore be on tap.

Looming over all the retain/replace decisions Dallas is set to face is the fact that Parsons is in need of a long-term extension. The 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year’s financial future was less urgent than that of Prescott and Lamb this past offseason, and he made it clear to the team no in-season extension talks would take place in 2024. Banking on a jump in the cap ceiling and the potential for the edge market to see a spike driven by new deals for the likes of Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, Parsons could very well attempt to become the league’s highest-paid defender this spring.

That title currently belongs to Nick Bosa at an annual average value of $34MM. Parsons – whose resumé includes three Pro Bowls and a pair of first-team All-Pro nods – will be hard-pressed to continue his trend of incrementally upping his sack total in 2024 given his missed time through injury. The 25-year-old’s leverage should nevertheless be sufficient to command a massive second contract, something which could leave Dallas as one of the few teams with two big-ticket edge rush deals on the books simultaneously (if Lawrence is re-signed).

March 2025 will mark Year 2 of Lamb’s accord, which calls for a $34.45MM cap hit. A restructure may be in order to lower that figure, but that will all-but certainly be necessary in Prescott’s case since he is on track to count for $89.9MM against Dallas’ cap next year. Creating immediate space will be key in generating flexibility for the 2025 offseason, one which figures to be rather busy for the Cowboys.

As things stand, Dallas, a team with only 39 players under contract for next year, is set to have roughly $9MM in effective 2025 cap space (h/t Over the Cap). That number will change considerably as the new league year approaches and the team attempts to meet several offseason goals with respect to roster alterations. With nine draft picks – including three in the top 75 – the Cowboys are set to have a rookie class which plays a key role at a number of positions. Before the draft takes place, though, impactful decisions on several financial fronts will need to be made.

Jonathan Mingo Did Not Expect To Be Traded; WR To Make Cowboys Debut In Week 11

The Cowboys were involved in the trade market last week when they acquired Jonathan Mingo. The second-year wideout fell out of the Panthers’ plans, and with term left on his rookie contract he can be a contributor for Dallas in 2024 and beyond.

Mingo was known to be a trade candidate leading up to the deadline, and Carolina had already been active at the position by dealing Diontae Johnson to the Ravens. Dallas did not profile as the most logical of potential buyers given the team’s struggles this year, but the trade – which saw Mingo and a seventh-round pick exchanged for a fourth-rounder – is of course not strictly a rental. Still, the 23-year-old was surprised he found himself on the move at the deadline.

“It kind of blindsided me, because my agent told me he didn’t think anything was going to happen, slim chance,” Mingo said when reflecting on the trade (via the Cowboys’ website). “So that slim chance happened. I’m happy to be a Cowboy, fresh start for me, new beginnings, God put me here for a reason.”

The 2023 second-rounder entered the league with high expectations last year, but he managed only 418 scoreless yards. Carolina’s offense underwent a number of changes this offseason, and Mingo went from handling a snap share of 89% in 2023 to just 56% this year. An uptick in usage could be coming his way in Dallas, a team which has been without Brandin Cooks for more than one month. That injury has left the Cowboys thin in terms of depth receiver options behind CeeDee Lamb.

Cooks is a pending free agent, and aside from he and Lamb – who signed a monster extension this offseason – all of Dallas’ wideouts are attached to rookie deals. That includes Mingo, who showed plenty of potential as a deep threat with a 15.7 yards per catch average during his time at Ole Miss. The Cowboys could use a vertical presence in their passing game now and in the future, and Mingo could prove to be a cost-effective contributor in that regard after the team thought higher of him than any rookie added in the fourth round this April.

To little surprise, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said (via DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr.) Mingo will play in Week 11. Dallas sits at 3-6 on the year and with Dak Prescott sidelined for the remainder of the campaign (among a number of other injuries), the chances of a postseason push are slim. Mingo’s debut and his performances the rest of the way will be an interesting storyline to follow, though.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Out For Season

NOVEMBER 14: Prescott’s surgery was a success, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. The lengthy rehab process will now begin as the Cowboys consider their other quarterback options to close out the campaign.

NOVEMBER 12: The Dak Prescott surgery scenario will commence. Although rumors about a potential late-season return emerged, Prescott’s hamstring injury will ultimately shut him down.

A round of medical opinions will lead Prescott to the operating table, with Jerry Jones confirming during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) his quarterback will undergo surgery in New York. The operation will take place Wednesday.

Considering the Cowboys’ trajectory and the nature of Prescott’s injury, it is not too surprising this is how his season will end. The Cowboys will stick with Cooper Rush in the immediate aftermath of a blowout loss to the Eagles, though veteran Cowboys reporter Newy Scruggs adds the team is bringing in Will Grier to join its practice squad. The Eagles released Grier from their P-squad last week.

Prescott, 31, is believed to have suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon. Reminding somewhat of the injury that cost Tyron Smith most of his 2022 season, Prescott’s malady prompted visits with multiple doctors — including one in New York. That meeting will provide the impetus for the ninth-year QB to wrap his season. This will go down as a wildly successful Prescott year on the contract front but a poor one in terms of performance.

Signing a four-year, $240MM extension — one that raised the QB market by a staggering $5MM in terms of AAV — Prescott ranked 25th in QBR when he went down during the Cowboys’ Week 9 game against the Falcons. A scramble produced the hamstring malady, and Prescott winced as he attempted a subsequent pass. The Cowboys certainly needed Prescott to salvage what looks like a lost season. With Rush at the controls in front of Trey Lance, Dallas is likely barreling toward a regime chance due to Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck status.

The 2020s have brought extreme vacillations for Prescott, who has nevertheless signed two player-friendly extensions during the decade. A fractured ankle — an injury that has affected the QB in the years since — shut down Dallas’ starter in 2020, while he then powered the team to a No. 1 offensive ranking during a 12-5 2021 season. While the Cowboys repeated their 12-5 record in 2022, Prescott led the NFL in INTs (15) upon returning from an early-season thumb injury. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year bounced back last year, earning second-team All-Pro status, before another regression defined his 2024 showing.

When Prescott went down in 2020, the Cowboys sank to 6-10. This preceded a 7-9 Washington team winning the NFC East. The Cowboys and Eagles yo-yoed in the division over the next three seasons, but McCarthy is almost certainly on his way out after this one. Dallas now sits 3-6 and will play 10 games without its starting QB this season. Jones endured steady criticism for his roster construction this year, as his Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions came as the owner operated passively at other positions. McCarthy’s successor will likely have a top-10 pick to use in April as a result.

Grier spent nearly two years with the Cowboys, arriving as a waiver claim in 2021 and staying on until not being retained on the 2023 roster coming out of camp. The former third-round pick rejoined Kellen Moore with the Chargers to close last season, following Bengals and Patriots stints, and caught on with the ex-Dallas OC in Philly this offseason. Grier will round out Dallas’ QB room, which remains fronted by Rush, who has been Prescott’s backup for most of the former fourth-round find’s career.

It would stand to reason Lance would receive extended time moving forward, given the Cowboys’ situation, but McCarthy confirmed Rush will see at least one more start. Lance’s rookie contract expires at season’s end, while Rush’s two-year, $4MM deal wraps after this campaign as well.

Thanks to the mammoth re-up he inked in September, Prescott is tied to to the Cowboys through the 2028 slate. The latest Prescott deal featuring no-tag and no-trade clauses, the contract will need to be adjusted in 2025, as it carries an untenable $89.9MM cap number.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/13/24

Today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed off Commanders’ practice squad: CB Chigozie Anusiem

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): TE Jack Stoll

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/24

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: LB Cam Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons have added a notable name to their special teams corps in Jakeem Grant. The long-time Dolphins returner has collected six ST touchdowns in his career (four via punts, two via kickoffs), and he’s even hauled in 100 catches. However, the veteran hasn’t seen the field since the 2021 campaign while spending the past few years on Cleveland’s practice squad.

With Dak Prescott done for the season, the Cowboys have added some extra QB depth. In comes old friend Will Grier, who spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Dallas. The former third-round pick has since bounced around the NFL, including stops with the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers in just 2023. Grier still only has two career appearances on his resume, both coming with the Panthers in 2019.

The Texans have added some experienced OL depth in Cameron Erving. The veteran is coming off a 2023 campaign where he started two of his three appearances for the Saints, and he barely played in 11 appearances with the Panthers in 2022. Still, the 32-year-old brings 98 games (58 starts) of experience to Houston, a factor that could be valuable down the stretch. To make room on the practice squad, the Texans moved on from cornerback Desmond King. The veteran has only seen time in one game for Houston this season, although he’s not far removed from a 2022 campaign where he started 13 games for the Texans.

Cooper Rush To Remain Cowboys’ Starter; Team To Make QB Addition

Both Cooper Rush and Trey Lance saw time yesterday in the Cowboys’ blowout loss. It remained uncertain in the wake of that contest who would get the nod as Dak Prescott‘s immediate replacement moving forward, but that question has now been answered.

Head coach Mike McCarthy announced on Monday that Rush will serve as Dallas’ starter for Week 11. The veteran has made 31 appearances and seven starts during the regular season, all with the Cowboys. Given that level of experience and familiarity with the team’s offense, it comes as little surprise Rush will remain atop the depth chart for at least one more week.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old struggled on Sunday, amassing only 45 passing yards and fumbling twice. Lance saw 15 snaps during the second half, adding to the turnovers as well with one of his six pass attempts being intercepted. No obvious candidate is thus available to handle QB1 duties with Prescott out of the picture (likely for the remainder of the campaign).

McCarthy added the team will be making an addition at the quarterback spot in light of Prescott’s hamstring injury. Healthy depth will be targeted with that move as the team looks to find answers on offense. Dallas ranks 22nd in scoring with an average of 19.7 points per game, and with the league’s second-worst rushing attack the team does not have the option of leaning heavily on the ground game. Rush will be able to help his market value with a string of starts, given his status as a pending free agent; the same also holds true of Lance, whose action yesterday marked his first regular season time as a Cowboy.

Dallas has a record of 3-6 on the year, and the struggles witnessed with Prescott at the helm suggested a postseason berth would be challenging to attain. The Cowboys will move forward with their incumbent options under center, with Rush in line to start for at least the upcoming contest against the Texans. Further decisions at the position will be dictated by an evaluation of that game.