Cowboys Legend Drops Harsh 3-Word Message Criticizing Dallas After Benching Cooper Rush Ahead of $500,000 Bonus

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush needed to play against the Washington Commanders in Week 18 to accumulate enough snaps to qualify for an additional $250,000 bonus.

Owner Jerry Jones called for backup quarterback Trey Lance to get the start and play the entire game.

Jerry Jones’ Order Costs Cooper Rush $250,000 in Additional Bonus

Rush, who already pocketed $250,000 for playing in 45% of the offensive snaps, stood to make an extra $250,000 for playing in 55% of the offensive snaps.

Due to the fact he did not play in the game, he failed to hit the mark and will not collect the extra $250,000. He will finish the season with playing in just over 50% of the snaps.

One former Cowboys player, Dez Bryant, was upset about how it went down. He took to social media (NSFW) to voice his displeasure over Rush getting the short end of the stick in an otherwise meaningless game.

The Cowboys had already been eliminated from the playoffs.

Jerry Jones says QB Cooper Rush’s contract incentive that would have been reached — and would’ve paid Rush $250,000 — if he played today was NOT the reason Trey Lance started for the Dallas Cowboys…#DallasCowboys #cowboys #dallas #NFL pic.twitter.com/6sKu97vpiH

— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) January 5, 2025

It would have been a welcomed bonus for the 39th-ranked QB per PFN’s QB+ metric. Jones, who is not only the owner but also the general manager claimed no knowledge of Rush’s incentive after the game.

“I didn’t even know about it until I read about it,” Jones said after the game.

Justin DeSales of The Dallas Express offered more insight before the game when it was announced Lance would start.

“Dallas has averaged roughly 68 offensive snaps per game this season and could likely reach this number against Washington if the game gets out of hand, which would be beneficial for Rush if the team opted to start him over Lance, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“Participating in every snap in this game, assuming the team reaches exactly 68 snaps, would result in Rush playing in 55.1% of the Cowboys’ snaps this season and reaching the minimum number for his incentive.

“Rather than reward him for the effort this season with the opportunity to reach his goal, the team is opting to give Lance significantly more play time and effectively deny Rush’s incentives.”