The Cowboys are expected to be without Dak Prescott for up to two months after the quarterback fractured his hand in a Sunday night loss to the Buccaneers. They reportedly plan to stick with backup Cooper Rush as the interim starter, despite Rush’s lack of experience. If, however, they look for a certain big-name replacement, the 49ers will be listening. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan indicated Monday that veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is, in fact, available for a potential trade to Dallas.
“We’ll listen to anybody on anything,” Shanahan said when asked about a possible Garoppolo deal, per NFL Media. “That never changes for any player.”
Garoppolo, of course, takes on special significance in matters such as these, considering the 49ers unsuccessfully tried to trade the former starter all offseason. Shoulder surgery limited the QB’s market until after most teams had already finalized their 2022 plans under center, hence his surprise return to the 49ers on a revised contract. It’s likely Shanahan and Co. would, in fact, listen to offers for the proven but injury-prone signal-caller. But now that Garoppolo is on a more affordable deal as insurance behind new starter Trey Lance, who had an erratic debut in Week 1, it’s unlikely San Francisco would part with him so easily.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have multiple internal options in the wake of Prescott’s injury, albeit unproven ones. Rush started one game as an injury replacement in 2021, leading Dallas to a prime-time win over the Vikings, but has appeared in just 11 games for his career. Former Panthers fourth-rounder Will Grier, who started two games as a rookie, is also on Dallas’ practice squad, while the team could also look to re-sign reserve Ben DiNucci, who made an emergency start in 2020.
