Cowboys’ best options to replace injured Dak Prescott at quarterback

With news that Dak Prescott suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand and will have surgery that will put him out multiple weeks — there are reports that it will be six to eight weeks — the Cowboys need a new quarterback.

The only two options currently on their roster are Cooper Rush and Will Grier. Rush is the most likely option to fill in until Prescott can return since he’s been with the team since he signed as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017. He’s played in 11 games in his five seasons with the Cowboys, including completing 7 of 13 passes for 64 yards in mop-up duty of Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. Grier, a 2019 third-round pick of the Panthers out of West Virginia, is on the Cowboys practice squad and could be elevated to the active roster. Grier started two games for the Panthers in 2019 and has been with the Cowboys since 2021, although he has yet to play in a game for Dallas.

Obviously, neither of those names inspires a ton of confidence, which leads to some of the other options out there.

Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo warms up before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022, in Chicago.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The most exciting would be working out a trade with the 49ers for Garoppolo, who led San Francisco to last year’s NFC Championship Game after eliminating the Cowboys a week earlier.

Garoppolo lost his starting job to Trey Lance and the 49ers re-worked his contract so he could stick around as their backup. Having him on the sidelines is, depending on how you look at it, either a nice safety blanket in case Lance can’t do the job, which looked quite possible in a season-opening upset loss at Chicago on Sunday, or a blow to Lance’s confidence as he has to constantly look over his shoulder to see if he’s going to get replaced.

There was a thought that the 49ers would trade Garoppolo in the offseason, but they never found anyone willing to meet their price. Perhaps the Cowboys would be desperate enough to do so.

Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints throws the ball during warm-ups in the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The former Katy High School star didn’t blow anyone away when he stepped in as the Cowboys starter when Prescott broke his ankle in 2000, but he’s at least a suitable NFL starter. He spent last season with the Bears, starting six games, and currently is the Saints backup. It may be tough to pry him from New Orleans, which has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations and may be unwilling to part with Jameis Winston’s backup.

Josh Johnson

Denver Broncos quarterback Josh Johnson (11) warms up against the Minnesota Vikings during an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Denver.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

The 36-year-old Johnson may be the most capable quarterback readily available for the Cowboys since he’s currently on the Broncos practice squad and could be claimed by the Cowboys for nothing. The Cowboys and Broncos had joint practices in August, so the Dallas staff should know if Johnson is capable of stepping in for them. Johnson, who spent a few weeks as a Texans’ backup in 2017, has started nine games in his career with his most recent start coming last season with the Ravens when he threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns in a December loss to the Bengals.

Cam Newton

Quarterback (1) Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals in a game, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz.

Jeff Lewis/Associated Press

The former league MVP is the most capable free agent quarterback out there, but can he still produce at 33 years old? He wasn’t impressive in his season as a starter with the Patriots in 2020 and didn’t show much last season, going 0-5 in his five starts with the Panthers.

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