Cowboys' Mike McCarthy: Play of Cooper Rush doesn't affect return of Dak Prescott

Head coach Mike McCarthy is preparing to have backup quarterback Cooper Rush in the lineup when his 4-1 Dallas Cowboys play at the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday night. McCarthy insisted Wednesday such a decision has more to do with the health of QB1 Dak Prescott than with the fact that Rush has gone 4-0 as a starter. 

"I don’t think so," McCarthy said about a notion that Rush's performances have allowed Dallas to sit Prescott longer than planned, per Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). "You’ve got to trust the medical process. This is a 17-game season. That was my immediate response. I know Dak didn’t want to hear it. You’ve got to make sure that he’s right for the long haul, too. 

"Not that I’m saying we’re being conservative, because that doesn’t really line up with him the way he approaches preparing to play. This really is following the medical timeline, and he’s doing all of the things you could possibly do and more to get ready. I don’t think it would change from my view." 

Prescott went down in Week 1, and it was initially said the two-time Pro Bowl selection could miss anywhere between six-to-eight weeks of action. Meanwhile, ESPN stats show that Rush will enter Week 6 of the campaign 12th among eligible quarterbacks with a 93.9 passer rating and fifth with a 66.9 total QBR. He's completed a solid 61.0% of his throws and matched four touchdown passes with zero interceptions. 

McCarthy added Wednesday he has "a tremendous amount of confidence" in Rush as long as Prescott is sidelined. Both McCarthy and Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones have said Prescott will return atop the depth chart as soon as he's cleared to play.