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Why doesn’t Trey Lance start? Cooper Rush gets Cowboys nod

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The Dallas Cowboys were dealt a blow in Week 9 when starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring avulsion.

The injury came as the Cowboys fell to 3-5 on the season. They weren’t completely out of the NFC playoff race yet, but their chances of joining a conference that already had a plethora of six-win teams seemed slim.

With that in mind, Dallas faced a tough decision at quarterback. Would it bring veteran Cooper Rush in for Prescott, or would it give Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, a chance to show what he can do as he prepares for free agency.

Ultimately, the Cowboys opted to go with Rush. There was a simple reason for that, said Jerry Jones, the team’s owner and general manager.

Why doesn’t Trey Lance start for the Cowboys?

The Cowboys won’t start Lance because they believe Rush gives them the best chance to remain competitive with Prescott out.

“Cooper has shown he has the ability to compete and win in games,” Jones said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan after Week 10. “He gives us our best chance.”

Rush has largely been a winner in his limited reps as a starter. He entered the 2024 NFL season with a 5-1 record in six starts with the Cowboys. He won the first five starts of his career from 2021-22, becoming just the 14th quarterback – and first Cowboy – in NFL history to achieve the feat.

That said, Rush struggled in his first start of the 2024 season. He completed 13 of 23 passes in the game, but generated a paltry 45 yards while leading the Cowboys’ offense to just six points.

Still, Jones wasn’t concerned about Rush’s performance against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has been one of the best in the NFL since the Week 5 bye.

“Honestly, that was really an out-of-character play based on what we’ve seen and know about Cooper,” Jones said.

If Rush can’t improve his performance while continuing to start, the Cowboys will likely turn to Lance. But as long as Jones’ main goal is to win, it appears he is content with Rush, who has spent the majority of the last eight years in the Cowboys organization.

Trey Lance Stats vs. Cooper Rush Stats

For those wondering, Lance has a 2-2 record in four career starts, all with the San Francisco 49ers. While his winning percentage may not be as sharp as Rush’s, the 24-year-old’s passer rating and yards per attempt both surpass Rush’s, demonstrating the North Dakota State product’s high ceiling.

Below you can see how Lance’s stats compare to Rush’s:

Trey Lance career stats

File: 2-2
Comp. %: 55.6
Passing yards: 818
Passing TDs: 5
INTs: 4
Judgement: 79.9
Recruit/attempt: 7.6
Wears: 57
Hurrying yards: 252
Rushed TDs: 1

Cooper Rush career stats

File: 5-2
Comp. %: 59.7
Passing yards: 1,831
Passing TDs: 9
INTs: 6
Judgement: 79.1
Recruit/attempt: 6.1
Wears: 37
Hurrying yards: 13
Rushed TDs: 0

When can the Cowboys start Trey Lance?

There is no concrete answer to this question, but it will likely depend on where the Cowboys are in the standings. Entering Week 11, they were ranked 13th in the NFC, three games off the pace of the Green Bay Packers for the No. 7 seed and a wild card bid.

As long as Dallas stays within striking distance of that goal and Jones believes Rush gives them the best chance to win, the 30-year-old will likely remain entrenched as the starter.

That said, if the Cowboys can’t keep up the pace and Rush continues to struggle behind Dallas’ shaky offensive line, Lance could get a chance to prove himself. He is scheduled to become a free agent after this season, so the Cowboys may want to reap the rewards that would come from starting the first-round pick.

Dallas could take the opportunity to take a look at Lance and see if he’s worth keeping as a development project behind Prescott. The Cowboys might also be interested in getting him some reps in hopes that another team might be interested in signing him. That would put Dallas in position to land a compensatory selection at quarterback, which would help offset the fourth-round pick it gave up in 2023 to acquire him.

But again, it doesn’t seem likely that will happen until the Cowboys are out of contention. However, that could happen as early as Week 12 when Rush battles the Houston Texans, so Lance’s candidacy to start will likely be evaluated on a week-by-week basis going forward.

Vaseline3 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read