Aug 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush (15) rolls out to throw a landing towards the Dallas Cowboys throughout the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Jerome Miron-Imagn Photos
Minnesota Vikings rookie minicamp acquired underway final week, and out of the blue, veteran quarterback Cooper Rush confirmed up in Eagan.
The Vikings’ newest minicamp identify got here with actual NFL beginning expertise.
It’s unclear the place Rush would possibly match on the present roster if he parleyed the go to right into a contract, however Minnesota could preserve him on velocity dial in 2026 if accidents rear their ugly head as soon as once more.
Rush Provides a Veteran Twist to Minnesota’s QB Potentialities
It’s the Cooper Rush section of the Vikings offseason.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush throws towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Sep. 28, 2025, throughout fourth-quarter motion at GEHA Subject at Arrowhead Stadium. Rush spent years carving out a repute as one of many NFL’s steadier reserve quarterbacks, incomes belief from teaching staffs due to his expertise, composure, and skill to function offenses in aid conditions. Obligatory Credit score: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Photos.
Rush in Eagan
There’s no contract but, however Rush is within the Vikings’ orbit. NBC Sports activities‘ Mike Florio wrote, “Rookie minicamps routinely include more than rookies. In Minnesota, veteran quarterback Cooper Rush will participate on a tryout basis. The team has announced 57 attendees for the weekend session. Of that number, 23 have been invited to the weekend practices on a tryout basis.”
“Rush, 32, has played in 42 regular-season games with 16 starts. He has a 9-7 record. The Ravens cut him earlier this year, after making Tyler Huntley the primary backup to Lamar Jackson. Before that, Rush spent seven seasons with the Cowboys, starting eight games in 2024 and five in 2022.”
Rush infamously helped the Dallas Cowboys beat the Vikings in a 2021 sport, so purple followers remembered the identify on the spot.
The Profession Biography
Rush has appeared in 42 video games since 2017, beginning 16. His groups have a 9-7 document on his watch, and he’s totaled 3,766 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in his profession.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush traces up for a snap on Nov. 24, 2024, throughout a matchup towards the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover. Rush developed right into a reliable backup choice all through his NFL profession, routinely getting into beginning duties for stretches and serving to stabilize offenses throughout injury-related absences at quarterback. Obligatory Credit score: Geoff Burke-Imagn Photos.
Scaled precisely to a 17-game starter’s pattern, Rush would produce this stat line, on common:
3,409 Passing Yards
19 Passing TDs
13 Interceptions
60.5% Completion Fee
His career-long EPA+CPOE suggests effectivity between Desmond Ridder and Joshua Dobbs. Right here’s Rush’s NFL resume up to now:
Dallas Cowboys (2017–2019)
New York Giants (2020)
Dallas Cowboys (2020–2024)
Baltimore Ravens (2025)
Doable Function?
The Vikings have already got this full home at quarterback:
Kyler Murray
J.J. McCarthy
Carson Wentz
Max Brosmer
However final yr, for instance, Minnesota was pressured to discover a number of veteran quarterbacks due to accidents to McCarthy and Wentz, together with stints with the aforementioned Ridder and John Wolford. Inviting Rush to minicamp is probably going a way to forge a relationship simply in case accidents come up once more.
For instance, if the harm bug infects the membership three or 4 passers deep, Rush could be the primary man the Vikings name on the free-agent wire or steal off one other group’s apply squad.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned about Rush’s surprising presence, “As I told Cooper, it’s almost like a free agent visit. He gets to know us, we get to know him. He’s played a lot of football over the years in the National Football League.”
“I think it can open up that world to him, or if there’s an opportunity in the future, he can make that a really positive situation for himself and become our first phone call.”
Cooper Rush throws a move for the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 16, 2025, throughout preseason motion at AT&T Stadium in Arlington towards the Dallas Cowboys. Rush continued constructing his NFL resume by means of reliability and veteran expertise, traits that steadily saved him in demand as a reserve quarterback able to dealing with spot-start tasks when wanted. Obligatory Credit score: Jerome Miron-Imagn Photos.
Our Kyle Joudry additionally famous over the weekend, “O’Connell has already seen quite a lot via quarterback injury (especially if we remember Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall all getting hurt in 2023). Not only has the response been to beef up the in-house quarterback options, but to establish a good line of communication with an external depth option should a need arise.”
Full Listing of Attendees
Right here’s the total checklist of each rookie and veteran who attended Vikings’ rookie minicamp:
Marcus Allen (CB)
Derek Anderson (TE)
Tony Anyanwu (OLB)
Da’Veawn Armstead (CB)
Caleb Banks (DL)
Dillon Bell (WR)
Drew Biber (TE)
Jordan Botelho (OLB)
Aidan Bouman (QB)
Max Bredeson (FB)
Tyreek Chappell (CB)
Anthony Chideme-Alfaro (CB)
Demond Claiborne (RB)
Joaquin Davis (WR)
Charles Demmings (CB)
Jalil Farooq (WR)
Bryan Felter (OL)
Dontae Fleming (WR)
Gavin Gerhardt (C)
Jake Golday (LB)
Monkell Goodwine (DL)
Brylan Inexperienced (S)
Trenton Irwin (WR)
Bangally Kamara (LB)
Shaleak Knotts (WR)
Matt Lauter (TE)
Keli Lawson (LB)
Shomari Lawrence (RB)
Vershon Lee (G)
Tristan Leigh (OL)
Delby Lemieux (OL)
Zach Lewis (S)
Gavin Lipkin (LS)
Bryson Nesbit (TE)
Domonique Orange (DL)
Kejon Owens (RB)
Zaire Patterson (DL)
Tomas Rimac (OL)
Jacob Roberts (LB)
Cooper Rush (QB)
Marcus Sanders Jr. (WR)
Atticus Sappington (Okay)
Cam’Ron Stewart (OLB)
Jake Tafelski (RB)
Jacob Thomas (S)
Jakobe Thomas (S)
Tra Thomas (OLB)
Brett Thorson (P)
Caleb Tiernan (OL)
Zemaiah Vaughn (CB)
Edward Vesterinen (DL)
Smith Vilbert (DL)
Brandon Walton (OL)
Arden Walker (OLB)
Jeremiah Williams (DL)
Luke Wysong (WR)
Offseason organized group actions (OTAs) and exercises are subsequent for the Vikings, starting on Might twenty sixth.
Rush will flip 33 in November.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
