5 Most Likely Marcus Mariota Replacements as Jalen Hurts' Backup

2. Cooper Rush

Going with a bit more of a "Kellen Moore guy," Cooper Rush is still under contract but could be a cap casualty cut for the Dallas Cowboys. With Moore gone, he may not have anyone championing to keep him around.

After all, Jerry Jones did make a splashy trade for a backup quarterback in Trey Lance last offseason.

Moore started working with Rush when he became the Cowboys' QB coach in 2018, which was Rush's second pro season. He was the offensive coordinator when

Rush signed his contract extension in Dallas, and he oversaw all six of the starts that have given Rush a 5-1 career record as a starter.

This is another situation where the public really doesn't have the whole story. Most of the action in Rush's career has come behind the scenes in practice, but he's certainly proven that he's capable of doing exactly what you need a backup to be able to do — step in and win a few games when your starter gets hurt. It's like the old Bubby Brister assignment: "We're giving you the keys to theFerrari, just don't wreck it."

The Eagles, late-season struggles or not, still need to build a roster like they'll be a contender in 2024. That means the main job of your backup quarterback is to be able to keep you in playoff contention if you need to play without your starter for a stretch.

Rush can do that, and Kellen Moore knows it better than anyone.