Cooper Rush Bio
Cooper Robert Rush is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Central Michigan Chippewas and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Over the course of his NFL career, Rush has spent time with the Cowboys and the New York Giants, building a reputation as a reliable reserve before taking on a starting role in Dallas and later joining Baltimore.
Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 224 pounds, Rush is known for his composure in relief appearances and his ability to manage games when called upon. His career path from an overlooked high school recruit to a multi-year NFL starter reflects steady development and persistence through the professional ranks.
Cooper Rush Early Life
Early Life and Background
Cooper Robert Rush was born on November 21, 1993, in Charlotte, Michigan. He grew up in a small Michigan community and attended Lansing Catholic High School in nearby Lansing, where the enrollment was just over 500 students. Rush became a three-year starter at quarterback for the Cougars football program and also played basketball and baseball during his freshman year.
In 2010 and 2011, Rush led his high school team to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. In 2011, he guided Lansing Catholic to the state runner-up title, setting Michigan state records with five touchdown passes in one quarter and eight for the game during a Division 5 regional championship contest against Dowagiac Union. Although the team lost the finals 56–26 to Powers Catholic High School, Rush registered 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in that contest.
As a senior, Rush earned All-State honors and was named the Associated Press Michigan Division 5/6 Player of the Year and ESPN’s Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. He finished his high school career with 7,248 passing yards on 455-of-734 passing and 80 touchdowns, along with 1,438 rushing yards and 27 rushing touchdowns. A three-star recruit, he received scholarship offers from Central Michigan and Toledo, while Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Western Michigan extended preferred walk-on invitations.
Path to American Football
Rush’s path to the NFL began at Central Michigan University, where he committed as a scholarship signee. He redshirted his first year and was named the school’s Scout Team Player of the Year. The following season, after the starter and backup both struggled in the opening game, Rush was thrust into action and responded with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 24–21 comeback win over New Hampshire. The performance tied the school record for the longest touchdown pass and cemented his hold on the starting role.
As a sophomore, Rush played in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl against Western Kentucky, where he threw seven touchdown passes, setting an all-time record for any bowl game. His junior season in 2015 produced a school single-season record of 3,703 passing yards through 13 games, finishing with 3,848 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on 66.3 percent completion. The senior campaign saw his production dip to 3,540 yards and 23 touchdowns, though he also threw 16 interceptions. He capped his college career with 49 straight starts, 12,894 passing yards, and 90 touchdowns, finishing 12 yards shy of the school and conference record held by Dan LeFevour.
Before the 2017 NFL Draft, Rush accepted an invitation to the East–West Shrine Game, where he completed 11 of 17 passes for 97 yards in a 10–3 loss for the East team. He also attended the NFL Combine, completing most drills, and later participated at Central Michigan’s pro day. NFLDraftScout.com ranked him as the 14th best quarterback prospect in the draft.
Cooper Rush Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Cooper Rush was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys on May 12, 2017. He competed with Zac Dysert for the third-string job during training camp before Dysert suffered a herniated disc. Rush produced strong preseason numbers, finishing 38-of-51 for 398 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions, including a 12-of-13, two-touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders. Head coach Jason Garrett placed him third on the depth chart behind Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore.
Rush made his NFL debut in Week 7 of the 2017 season in a 40–10 road win over the San Francisco 49ers, completing one of three passes for two yards and adding 13 rushing yards. He appeared sparingly over the next two seasons, seeing action mostly in mop-up duty, and was waived in May 2020 after the Cowboys signed Andy Dalton and drafted Ben DiNucci.
Dallas Cowboys Breakthrough (2021–2022)
After a brief detour through the New York Giants in 2020, Rush returned to the Cowboys’ practice squad on October 31 of that year and signed a reserve/future contract in January 2021. He beat out Garrett Gilbert and DiNucci to serve as Prescott’s backup. In Week 8 of 2021, Rush earned his first NFL start against the Minnesota Vikings after Prescott was sidelined with a calf injury. He threw for 325 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, engineering a late comeback that ended with a touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in a 20–16 road win.
The following season, Rush was waived at the end of August 2022 and signed to the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on September 17 after Prescott suffered a thumb injury. He started four straight games, beginning with a 235-yard, one-touchdown effort in a 20–17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. Wins over the Giants, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams followed, making Rush the first quarterback in franchise history to win his first four starts. He posted a 66.9 QBR through those starts, the fifth highest in the league at the time. His run ended with a Week 6 loss to Philadelphia before Prescott returned.
Baltimore Ravens Era (2025–Present)
On March 18, 2025, Rush signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens that could reach $12.2 million in total value. The deal runs through the 2026 season. After starting quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4, Rush was named the starter.
In his first start as a Raven in Week 5 against the Houston Texans, Rush threw three interceptions without a touchdown in a 44–10 home loss. The following week, he was benched for Tyler Huntley during a 17–3 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams after completing 11 of 19 passes for 72 yards and an interception.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rush is recognized for his poise in pressure situations and his ability to execute short and intermediate passing concepts. He has shown accuracy on comeback routes and the willingness to attack downfield when protections hold, as demonstrated by his career-high three touchdown passes against Carolina in 2024.
Notable Events and Milestones
Rush set a college record with seven touchdown passes in the 2014 Bahamas Bowl and became the first Cowboys quarterback in franchise history to win his first four NFL starts in 2022. He also engineered back-to-back fourth-quarter comebacks during the 2021 season and signed a multi-year contract with Baltimore in March 2025.
Cooper Rush Career Wins
Across his professional career, Cooper Rush has compiled a notable winning record as a starter, highlighted by a streak of four consecutive victories during the 2022 season with the Dallas Cowboys and a 34–26 road win over Washington in 2024.
NFL Highlights
Rush’s first NFL win came in Week 8 of the 2021 season against the Minnesota Vikings, a 20–16 road victory in which he threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns. He followed it up with four straight wins to open the 2022 season before a Week 6 loss at Philadelphia ended his starting run. In 2024, he started in place of an injured Prescott and earned a Week 12 victory over Washington with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, then added a Thanksgiving win over the New York Giants and a career-high three-touchdown performance against Carolina in Week 15.
Other Wins and Performances
Rush earned All-MAC honors twice, including Second-team recognition in 2015 and Third-team honors in 2016, and he set the school single-season passing record at Central Michigan during the 2015 campaign.
Cooper Rush Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cooper Robert Rush was raised in Charlotte, Michigan. Public details about his immediate family background remain limited.
Personal Life
Rush is married and has a daughter. He has maintained residence in Michigan and later in the Dallas and Baltimore areas during his NFL career.
2025 Season Performance
Cooper Rush entered the 2025 season as a backup behind Lamar Jackson before being elevated to the starting role in Week 4 following Jackson’s hamstring injury. The transition placed Rush in charge of guiding Baltimore’s offense through a critical stretch of the schedule.
His first start as a Raven ended in a 44–10 home loss to Houston, where he threw three interceptions without a touchdown. The following week against the Los Angeles Rams, he was benched for Tyler Huntley after a 17–3 home loss in which he completed 11 of 19 passes for 72 yards and an interception. The early returns highlighted the challenges of stepping into a starting role on short notice.
With Jackson’s status uncertain and the Ravens competing in a competitive AFC North, Rush’s role for the remainder of the 2025 season will depend on the health of the team’s franchise quarterback. The two-year, $6.2 million contract signed in March provides Rush roster security through 2026, regardless of how the season unfolds.