The Cincinnati Bengals could take steps to fortify their quarterback room before the regular season in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys this preseason. The Bengals suffered a major scare for their Super Bowl prospects this season when Joe Burrow sustained a calf strain during a practice at training camp in July.
The Bengals expect Burrow to play in Week 1 of the regular season. However, that hasn’t been confirmed yet. The Bengals need to secure a talented backup should Burrow miss time in the regular season.
One logical trade partner for the Bengals at quarterback would be the Cowboys. Dallas has extra help at quarterback this weekend before they have to make their 53-man roster cuts this week. They traded with the San Francisco 49ers for former first-round pick Trey Lance last week.
The Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick to the 49ers for Lance. They could use one of their four quarterbacks on the roster to make up for the capital they gave up to the 49ers.
Dallas' obvious starter, Dak Prescott, won’t be on the trade market. The Cowboys are planning to cut Will Grier. This leaves Cooper Rush as the trade piece for the Cowboys.
Trade proposal for Cowboys QB to back up Joe Burrow
Jonathan Adams with Heavy thinks the Bengals would be ripe to swap a pick with the Cowboys for Rush. The Bengals showed interest in Rush before ultimately signing former Chicago Bears backup quarterback Trevor Siemian in free agency. Adams thinks the Cowboys could expect a fifth-round pick in return for Rush:
“ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that the Bengals were one of the teams that were interested in signing Rush to be Joe Burrow’s backup. With Burrow already dealing with a calf injury, Cincinnati’s interest in Rush is likely increased after missing out on the quarterback during free agency.
It may be challenging for Dallas to land a fourth-round pick for Rush like the front office gave up for Lance. It is reasonable to think the Bengals would be willing to give up a future fifth-rounder to solidify their QB2 spot by acquiring Rush.
For Dallas, it is going to be complicated to have two highly-paid backup quarterbacks, meaning the Cowboys are likely to move on from Rush in 2024. Lance’s $5.3M is completely guaranteed for next season making Rush’s days in Dallas numbered beyond 2023.”
Should the Bengals trade for Cooper Rush?
Rush was a surprise storyline for the Cowboys last season. He took over for Prescott early last season after Prescott suffered an injury in Week 1. He went 4-1 as a starter for the Cowboys last season, and many Cowboys fans at the time were hoping for a quarterback controversy.
Rush, a former UDFA signed by the Cowboys in 2017, threw for 1,051 yards, five touchdown passes and three interceptions in 2022. He led the Cowboys to a 20-17 win over the Bengals last season.
Simply put, the Bengals should be interested in trading a mid-round pick for Rush. He was the perfect backup for the Cowboys, winning several regular season games to keep his team on the path to making the playoffs until their star quarterback could return fully healthy. Rush could give Burrow a chance to fully heal in early September, so the Bengals have a good chance of running the table this winter.
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