It’s a brutal day in the NFL for many, as teams around the league hack down their rosters from 80 players to the mandatory count of 53 by 4 p.m. ET. For the Dallas Cowboys, that definitely means aiming the hatchet at their quarterback room — having spent all of July and August trying to figure out who’ll back up two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott. It was Garrett Gilbert entering training camp and the preseason as the front-runner, but things changed toward the end of August, when Cooper Rush asserted himself against the Arizona Cardinals.
It felt like the decision had been made at that point, and it turns out it had — despite Gilbert playing well in the preseason finale. The Cowboys released Gilbert during final cutdowns, sources tell CBS Sports, sending him to waivers alongside Ben DiNucci and effectively coronating Rush as QB2, at least for the moment. Sources also note the Cowboys will keep an eye on the waiver wire in the event a QB comes free that they feel is an upgrade over Rush. Should that not happen, it’ll be the familiar face of Rush behind Prescott in 2021.
The writing has been on the wall for quite a while regarding DiNucci, who said earlier this offseason that his poor NFL debut as a rookie “wasn’t me out there.” It appears it was, however, when looking at his poor play in this year’s preseason that included four interceptions and nearly several more, if they weren’t dropped by opposing players. DiNucci dominated at James Madison University but has been a disappointment in the NFL thus far, and now his time in Dallas is over. Time will tell if it’s only for a day or so, because there’s still a chance DiNucci gets more time to develop on the practice squad.
The same applies to Gilbert, who is eligible for the 16-man unit and who has done infinitely more than DiNucci in proving he belongs in Dallas. But, for now, both are hitting the waiver wire and waiting to see what their next NFL move will be.
Check out the complete list of Cowboys cuts — updated as they filter in — and be sure to refer back to the CBS Sports final roster projection for Dallas to see which ones are expected and which are a complete surprise.
- Ben DiNucci, QB
- Garrett Gilbert, QB
- Isaac Alarcon, OL (IPP exemption)
- Steven Parker, S
- Eric Smith, OT
- Tyler Coyle, S
- Austin Faoliu, DT
- Ron’Dell Carter, DL
- Darian Thompson, S
- Osirus Mitchell, WR
- JaQuan Hardy, RB
- Braylon Jones, OL
- Brendan Knox, RB
- Brandon Smith, WR
- Johnnie Dixon, WR
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