Dak Prescott didn’t have himself a great night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener. However, that wasn’t the worst news that came out of the day. The worst news was actually that Prescott suffered an injury that requires surgery, forcing him out of action for the foreseeable future. So, where do the Dallas Cowboys go from here?
Cooper Rush
During the Cowboys 19-3 season opening loss, Cooper Rush replaced Prescott for the final five minutes of the game. The change at the end didn’t even matter, both Prescott and Rush equally struggled during the loss. However, Rush does appear to be the only real option for the Cowboys at the position when it comes to somebody currently on the roster. In those final few minutes on Sunday night, Rush completed seven out of his 13 passes for 64 yards. He probably could have even done a little more too. Had he not gotten sacked twice in 15 drop backs. Rush also had some strong moments in 2021 when he replaced Prescott.
Will Grier
If they happen to side against Rush, Will Grier has the potential to win the job. Grier was very close to getting the backup job after a decent preseason. Head coach Mike McCarthy appeared to be consistently impressed by Grier in the preseason. Though he also missed some time due to a pulled groin.
Grier has been slowly developing as time has passed by, but he just might need more time before getting the go-ahead. After all, his first regular season start in the NFL saw him throw for 224 yards and three interceptions during a loss. He followed that up by completing one of his eight passes for four yards, losing a fumble and throwing an interception before getting pulled with a foot injury in his second game.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Then finally, we have to talk about a potential out of house option to fix the position until Dak returns. The most obvious choice would be the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo was on the trading block for the past few months now. Recently, it’s been looking like he might stay though. Second year quarterback Trey Lance didn’t play great in the season opener and Garoppolo did rework his contract.
That might not matter if the Cowboys seek him out hard enough. Owner Jerry Jones was already feeling the pressure of not having any recent playoff success, and he might pull the trigger on a major deal to avoid another disaster of a season. He would only be a short-term solution to the problem until Dak returns. It might be the difference between them going 7-10 and 13-5 though.
Overall, this was not the opening week that Dallas was hoping for here in 2022. Whichever quarterback winds up stepping into the spotlight for this established organization is going to have a rough time regardless. Even with Prescott out there, nobody was getting open whatsoever. The pressure was relentless all night and outside of CeeDee Lamb, it didn’t feel like anybody else made an impact in the passing game. Dallas certainly needs Michael Gallup back in action as quickly as possible to try and back up their next starter.