When the Dallas Cowboys open their two-game home preseason slate with a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, players will be fighting for jobs. Some will be fighting for starting roles, and others will fight to crack the 53-man roster.
But aside from the typical storylines of a preseason game, Saturday will serve as a special reunion at AT&T Stadium, as Ravens backup quarterback Cooper Rush will return to Arlington for the first time since deciding to depart the Cowboys in free agency this past offseason.
It’s unique that it happens in the preseason, as it guarantees that Rush will see playing time. In fact, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that he plans on giving Rush more reps in their second preseason game than the 12 snaps he received in the team’s exhibition opener.
“It’ll be different over on that sideline,” Rush said to Baltimore reporters on Wednesday. “It’ll be something new. I’m looking forward to it. I built lot of close relationships over the years there. It’ll be cool catching up with those guys.”
It was the first time that Rush has spoken to the media since deciding to sign with Baltimore in March. With Dallas on the table, he felt the Ravens presented the better opportunity for him.
“Dallas was in play, but Baltimore kind of came out of nowhere early in that week,” he said. “I went, ‘Oh, man. That’s a good place to be.’ There’s a head coach here that’s built a culture here for a long time, a winning program. I was super excited about it and glad they called.”
Missed out on incentive
Despite being benched in the Cowboys’ final game last season when he could have earned a $500,000 playing time incentive by playing at least 68 snaps, Rush doesn’t hold any hard feelings over how things ended in Dallas. Even when he lines up on Saturday, it will be more about his current outfit rather than his last.
“It’s business,” he said. “Maybe if I played better, I’d go out there. You don’t really think about that stuff. I had a great time there. It was an awesome eight years. I’m really close with a lot of people in that organization.
“Really just trying to show the current team that I’m doing well. That’s the main focus.”
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) throws a pass in the first half of an NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he is looking forward to reuniting with Rush before the game after the two spent three years together in Dallas.
“I can’t wait to see Coop,” Schottenheimer said. “Coop’s the best. I just loved his personality, the way he was so calm, even. Of course, I was pulling for him to go get a great opportunity if it wasn’t going to be with us. He had a great opportunity and a great contract. I know he’s impacting that locker room just like he did ours. I can’t wait to give him a hug on Saturday.”
It is odd to see Rush backing up a speed weapon like Lamar Jackson at quarterback. For a player who utilizes so many run-pass-option and power read plays to be successful, the contrast of Rush’s stoic pocket-passer style is certainly eye-opening. Schottenheimer acknowledged the stylistic differences with a smile and said it might have to go into his game-planning.
“I’m anxious to see if he’s running some of the power read and stuff that Lamar is doing,” he said. “I know he can, I know he did at one time.”
The Cowboys will take on the Ravens at 6 p.m. on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in the second of three preseason games. The game will be broadcast locally on CBS 11.