Will the Cowboys consider a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo after Dak Prescott’s hand injury?

The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a tough position the morning after their Week 1 game wrapped. They looked bad in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but more importantly, they lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a hand injury that is expected to cost him 6-8 weeks.

In Prescott’s absence, Cooper Rush becomes the Cowboys starting quarterback. He is in his fifth season and has 11 games and one start under his belt. He’s 38-of-63 for 488 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in his career. The Cowboys won his lone start in 2021. In Week 8, he completed 24 of 40 passes for 325 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 20-16 win over the Vikings.

The Cowboys might be content rolling with Rush and either promoting Will Grier from the practice squad or signing a veteran free agent. However, another option could exist. The Cowboys could reach out to the San Francisco 49ers and inquire about Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers tried to trade him all offseason, but shoulder surgery stymied those efforts. They renegotiated his contract to carry him into the new season and he will be a free agent next offseason.

Garoppolo was part of two separate NFC title game teams and is a quality quarterback. He’s not a superstar, but he can help a contender. It’s unclear if the 49ers would trade him within the conference, but this is the kind of situation they likely were waiting for when they did not release Garoppolo at roster cuts. They were looking to see if a contender would face an injury at the QB position, and now that situation has arisen.

It’s possible Jerry Jones thinks the Cowboys can win games with Rush starting. Garoppolo is an upgrade, but if Jones is convinced Rush is the answer for the next two months, then a trade won’t happen. If Jones thinks Garoppolo can help them, they could get a deal done. Garoppolo restructured his deal to include $6.5 million in base salary and $500,000 in roster bonus money. The Cowboys currently have approximately $11 million in cap space.