The Dallas Cowboys have some serious flaws on the franchise’s roster, but the team does have a plethora of quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Bryce Young lasted all of two games in his second NFL season before losing the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback gig.
Could the Panthers now be in the market for a new quarterback after benching Young? Former Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton is now the Panthers starting signal-caller, but it is unclear if this is a permanent solution. Dallas has Cooper Rush and Trey Lance sitting behind Dak Prescott.
Rush is likely the preferable option if the Panthers are looking for a quarterback who can play right away. Lance is more of a project, and Carolina appears to already have that in Young.
For the purposes of this exercise, let’s focus on a trade pitch that would send Rush to the Panthers. Realistically, the Cowboys are unlikely to land more than a future day-three pick in exchange for Rush.
The signal-caller is in the final season of a two-year, $5 million contract. Rush has a team-friendly $2.8 million cap hit for 2024.
The Raiders & Bengals Showed an Interest in Cowboys QB Cooper Rush Back in 2023
It remains to be seen what kind of a trade market Rush has ahead of the November 5, 2024, deadline. We do know that Rush had multiple teams interested in his services during NFL free agency in 2023, including the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals.
“After going 4-1 last season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback while Dak Prescott recovered from thumb surgery, Rush was a hot commodity in free agency,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote in an April 4, 2023, story titled, “Bad weather, a delayed flight and kismet? How Cooper Rush’s deal with Cowboys got done.” “He was flying to Las Vegas that day to meet with the Raiders, and the Cincinnati Bengals also expressed interest and hoped to set up a visit.
“… Though the flight was never canceled, Rush never got on the plane. He took a night to sleep on the Cowboys’ offer and woke up on St. Patrick’s Day with a two-year deal worth a max of $6 million that included a $1.25 million signing bonus.”
Would Trading for Cowboys QB Cooper Rush be an Upgrade for the Panthers Over Andy Dalton?
The Cowboys will need to decide if the team prefers having depth behind Prescott over potentially landing a future draft pick. Dallas could also look to pull off the rare player for player swap. Running back Miles Sanders has mostly been stuck on the sideline and could make some sense for the Cowboys given the team’s rushing woes.
Would Rush be an upgrade at quarterback over Dalton for the Panthers? Rush’s best season came in 2022 when the quarterback filled in for an injured Prescott. The veteran threw for 1,051 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while completing 58 % of his passes in nine appearances, including five starts.
Both Rush and Lance will hit free agency this offseason. It would seem unlikely that Dallas would make a strong push to keep both quarterbacks now that Prescott has signed a long-term deal. For now, Lance is an expensive third-string quarterback with a $5.3 million cap hit in 2024.
