FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys aren't ready to name a backup quarterback just yet – but that in itself serves as a new development this preseason.
Going all the way back to the spring and throughout training camp, this team has been steadfast in its support of Kellen Moore as its No. 2 quarterback. But when he was asked about that position on Monday afternoon, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones had a different way to describe it.
"I will say it's a healthy competition," Jones said. "I don't know that we're ready to name a No. 2 just yet."
That's an interesting admission, but it isn't exactly surprising given the events of the past month. Cooper Rush has been a persistent storyline throughout the Cowboys' training camp, as the undrafted rookie has risen from an unknown player to a candidate to be Dak Prescott's backup on the 53-man roster.
Through four games this preseason, Rush has completed 38-of-51 total passes for 398 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. His lone miscue came this past weekend, when he was stripped by a blitzing cornerback and had the ensuing fumble returned for a touchdown.
To hear it from Jones, though, that even wound up being a positive.
"I thought one of the biggest takeaways from this game was, obviously he had a play where he had some serious adversity," Jones said. "He had missed a check down and had a sack-fumble-touchdown against him, and then turned right back around and leads his team down to two touchdown drives. That's a big deal."
The performance was enough to prompt Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones to confirm that Rush will not be among the team's cuts when the roster is reduced to 53 this weekend. Whether he earns the backup job is something that's to be determined.
With Hurricane Harvey still battering the region, it remains to be seen if the Cowboys will even play their preseason finale against the Houston Texans. But if they do, it sounds like both Rush and Moore will have one last chance to state their case.
"If we play the game, obviously, against the Texans, we're going to see a lot of both of those guys," Stephen Jones said. "We're fortunate we have them both."
