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Dallas Cowboys stars expressed confidence in Cooper Rush amid the backup quarterback’s preparations to make his first start of the season on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Obviously, we’ve connected,” Lamb said (h/t DallasCowboys.com’s Patrik Walker.) “We’ve taken a lot of reps outside of practice — just talking, communicating, and getting on the same page. I feel like that’s very important with the situation that’s coming up. I’m happy for him.
“We know what Coop can do. The confidence is still there. Stand in there and deliver.”
Edge rusher Micah Parsons meanwhile said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer: “I still believe we can make a run. I’ve seen what Cooper Rush can do. That’s a good boy right there. Cooper Rush got a lot of talent. He won games for us by just doing the basics, just playing good football. So it’s not like he can’t do it.”
Rush could be starting at least the next four games for the Cowboys after Dak Prescott suffered a hamstring injury that team owner Jerry Jones said on Tuesday is likely to land him on the injured reserve.
Prescott’s hamstring tendon was “partially torn off the bone,” an injury known as a partial avulsion, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater. Recovery usually takes longer than four weeks, according to Slater.
The starter suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Cowboys’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Rush then stepped in and went 13-of-25 for 115 yards. He recorded a passing touchdown and successful two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter to bring the Cowboys within six points of the Falcons.
His ability to help the Cowboys improve to 4-5 this weekend could depend on the availability of Lamb and Parsons, who were both limited in Wednesday’s practice.
Lamb is battling a sprained AC joint in his shoulder he suffered during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He told reporters on Thursday that his shoulder was “much better,” and that managing the injury had more to do with working through pain than a limited range of motion.
Parsons is meanwhile looking to make his return after missing four games with an ankle injury. The edge rusher rejoined practice on Wednesday for the first time since he was hurt in a Week 4 win over the New York Giants, and his participation on Sunday will hinge on how he feels in practice the rest of the week, per Archer.
Rush is set to make his seventh NFL start, and his first since he led Dallas to four wins while filling in for Prescott after the starter suffered a broken thumb in 2022. The Eagles pass defense, which has developed into one of the top five units in the NFL under coordinator Vic Fangio, will present a serious challenge to Rush’s hopes of improving his career record as starter to 6-1.