Should the Dallas Cowboys Consider Trading Cooper Rush to the New York Jets?

The Dallas Cowboys are being pushed to consider trading backup quarterback Cooper Rush to the New York Jets following Aaron Rodgers sustaining a season-ending injury. Dallas recently traded for Trey Lance, who is under contract with the team through the 2024 season, prompting some speculation that owner Jerry Jones could explore potential deals for Rush. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson believes the Jets should at least make a call to the Cowboys about Rush’s potential availability.

“I do think Cooper Rush should get consideration in a trade scenario since the Cowboys have Trey Lance,” Anderson tweeted on September 13, 2023. “The reason I put Gardner Minshew previously is because of other intangible considerations I have, though I think the 0-1 Colts should sniff at this is if their record goes 📉.”

Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Described a Potential New York Jets Trade as ‘Very Unlikely’

When asked about a potential trade, Jones downplayed a possible deal with the Jets. Jones labeled a Jets trade as “unlikely,” which indicates this could be a redshirt year for Lance this season.

“I can say this, that I can’t imagine what it would be,” Jones explained during a September 12 interview with 105.3 The Fan’s “Shan & RJ.” “But the facts are that just as they do, we can need Rush in a play and did last year [after Dak Prescott’s injury] and did the year before.

“And so, boy, you’ve got to, especially when you got all the promise we got, to compromise yourself with depth at that position, would be very unlikely.”

What Is Cooper Rush’s Trade Value?

We do know that Rush generated interest in free agency last offseason but not enough for the veteran to bolt Dallas. It remains to be seen what the Cowboys would net in a deal for Rush.

Dallas gave up a fourth-round selection to the 49ers in the trade for Lance, could the Cowboys find something similar for Rush? ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that the Bengals and Raiders were two of the teams that showed an interest in Rush.

“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,” Archer wrote on April 4. “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.”

The Dallas Cowboys Made Trey Lance Inactive in Week 1

The domino effect of a potential Rush trade is that Dallas would need to have faith in Lance to be ready for action if Dak Prescott sustained an injury. The Cowboys made Lance inactive against the Giants in Week 1, which could indicate two things.

One, Dallas may believe Lance needs more time to learn the offense since the deal happened late in the preseason. The other potential answer is the Cowboys already had Rush active and wanted to use the spot on another position. Lance has a $5.3 million cap hit for the 2024 season, and Rush is slated to have a $2.8 million cap hit next season as well.

This is a lot of money for two reserve quarterbacks, not even taking into account Prescott’s additional financial numbers. The Cowboys have an out in Rush’s deal next offseason, and it will be interesting to see if Dallas may explore potential deals closer to the October 31 trade deadline. For this to happen, the Cowboys would need to have faith in Lance to take over as QB2.