Dak Prescott is out and Cooper Rush is in at starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
A calf injury will keep Prescott out of the Cowboys' prime-time matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. Prescott officially was ruled inactive Sunday night after he went through roughly 30 minute workout on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Rush will take the starting reins for the Cowboys. Prescott was questionable coming into Sunday night due to the calf injury he sustained in Week 6.
Rush will get his first NFL start when Dallas (5-1) faces the Vikings (3-3).
"We just feel like it's better to go with Cooper Rush and give Dak more time to heal," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said on 105.3 The Fan, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "These are conversations that were going on all week. We feel like we're making the best decision for Dak."
Thus far in his career, the 27-year-old Rush has appeared in just six games with 58 snaps and only attempted three passes. He was 1 of 3 for two yards in 2017 (which stand as his career statistics).
Prescott was leading the NFL with a 73.1 completion percentage entering Week 8, which accompanied 1,813 passing yards (302.2 per game), 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
It's been an eventful year on the injury front for Prescott.
Having been sidelined by an awful ankle break in Week 5 of the 2020 season, Prescott spent the majority of 2021 on the road to recovery from that. During the preseason, he encountered a shoulder strain that limited his camp participation and caused him to sit out the entire preseason. And during a Week 6 overtime win against the New England Patriots, Prescott suffered his current calf injury.
Prescott's bum calf has stopped him from leading the Cowboys, who enter their prime-time showdown riding a five-game winning streak, but it might bode well for the long haul that Dallas is getting Prescott time to recovery with plenty of big games left ahead.
