The Detroit Lions' quarterback room will look different next season.
Kyle Allen signed with the Buffalo Bills earlier in the week, forcing the Lions to replace him by bringing back Teddy Bridgewater. Meanwhile, CJ. Beathard, who finished the season on the Lions' practice squad, is currently a free agent.
Even if the QB2 role is Bridgewater's to lose, the Lions will almost certainly sign a third quarterback, whether it's for the practice squad or the 53-man roster. And that name could be Michigan-born, former Central Michigan standout Cooper Rush.
Rush was just released by the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday morning, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero. The veteran signal-caller had signed with Baltimore in the 2025 offseason to be the backup QB. He got his chance after Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury early in the season; however, he had miserable showings in his two starts before being benched for Tyler Huntley.
After Baltimore re-signed Huntley earlier in the week, the writing was on the wall for Rush. He was under contract for $2 million for the 2026 season, but the Ravens decided to move on, putting Rush on the free-agent market and, potentially, in the Lions' crosshairs.
QB Cooper Rush Is Worth a Look for the Lions
The 32-year-old Rush may be difficult to trust as the primary backup at this stage of his career, but he is more than capable of being a QB3. In fact, he would be one of the more overqualified and experienced third-stringers in the league.
Rush has 16 career starts under his belt and a 9-7 record. When he was the long-term QB2 behind Dak Prescott in Dallas, he kept the offense afloat whenever he got an opportunity. He consistently defeated the new quarterbacks the Dallas Cowboys brought in for competition, which eventually earned him a deal with the Ravens.
Even though Rush may look for a QB2 opportunity, it may not be there after his 2025 performance. Plus, the idea of returning home for the Lansing, MI native could be appealing, even on the practice squad. It would be difficult to argue against Rush being an upgrade over last season's QB3 Beathard.
At the end of the day, this decision will likely not matter all that much.
Goff hasn't missed a game in four seasons and is as durable as they come. Even in the case of an injury, the Lions will likely trust Bridgewater, who is familiar with the team and coaching staff. Things would have to go unexpectedly poorly for the Lions to need to rely on Rush or another signal-caller next season.
Having as many capable veteran QBs in the building, however, never hurts. Rush certainly provides that, giving the Lions something to think about as the offseason continues.
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