Why aren't Cowboys starting Trey Lance? Jerry Jones confident in Cooper Rush

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 dropped to 3-5 on the season. They weren't completely out of the NFC playoff race, but any chances of contending in a conference that already had a plethora of six-win teams seemed slim.

With that in mind, Dallas faced a difficult decision at quarterback. Would it start veteran Cooper Rush in place of 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 to hit free agency.

Ultimately, the Cowboys chose to ride with Rush. There was a simple reason for that, according to the team's owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

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Why isn't Trey Lance starting for the Cowboys?

The Cowboys aren't starting Lance because they believe Rush gives them the best chance to stay competitive with Prescott out.

"Cooper has shown that he has the capability to compete and win in games," Jones said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan after Week 10. "He does give 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 that feat.

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

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

"Frankly, that was really an out-of-character game for him based on what we've seen and we know about Cooper," Jones said.

If Rush can't improve his performance as he continues to start, then the Cowboys would likely turn to Lance. But as long as Jones' main goal is to win, it seems like he is content to stick with Rush, who has spent most of the last eight years in the Cowboys organization.

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Trey Lance stats vs. Cooper Rush stats

For those wondering, Lance has a 2-2 record in four career starts, all of which came 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 outpace Rush's, demonstrating the North Dakota State product's high ceiling.

Below is a look at how Lance's stats compare to those of Rush:

Trey Lance career stats

• Record: 2-2

• Comp. %: 55.6

• Passing yards: 818

• Passing TDs: 5

• INTs: 4

• Rating: 79.9

• Yards/attempt: 7.6

• Carries: 57

• Rushing yards: 252

• Rushing TDs: 1

Cooper Rush career stats

• Record: 5-2

• Comp. %: 59.7

• Passing yards: 1,831

• Passing TDs: 9

• INTs: 6

• Rating: 79.1

• Yards/attempt: 6.1

• Carries: 37

• Rushing yards: 13

• Rushing TDs: 0

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When might the Cowboys start Trey Lance?

There isn't a concrete answer to this question, but it will likely depend on where the Cowboys are in the standings. Entering Week 11, they were sitting in 13th place in the NFC, three games off the Green Bay Packers' pace for the No. 7 seed and a wild-card bid.

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

That said, if the Cowboys can't keep pace and Rush continues to struggle behind Dallas' shakier-than-usual offensive line, Lance could get a chance to prove himself. He is slated to be a free agent after the season, so the Cowboys might want to reap the benefits that would stem from starting the first-round pick.

Dallas could relish a chance to get a look at Lance and see if he's worth keeping as a developmental project behind Prescott. The Cowboys may also be interested in getting him some reps in the hopes that another team might be interested in signing him. That would position Dallas to land a compensatory selection for the quarterback, which would help offset the fourth-round pick it surrendered in 2023 to acquire him.

But again, this doesn't seem likely to happened until the Cowboys are out of contention. However, that could happen as early as Week 12 if Rush struggles against the Houston Texans, so Lance's candidacy to start will likely be evaluated on a week-by-week basis moving forward.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why isn't Trey Lance starting? Cooper Rush gets nod for Cowboys