Bengals came close to signing Cooper Rush, per report

With free agency starting to slow down across the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals apparently were actually tied to another Dallas Cowboys player that isn’t Ezekiel Elliott.

According to Nick Eatman of the Dallas team site, the Bengals came close to signing a new backup quarterback in Cooper Rush.

The Las Vegas Raiders were also reportedly making a push to sign Rush.

“From the sound of things, the Cowboys got pretty lucky that he (Rush) returned,” Eatman wrote. “He was getting close to taking another offer with either the Raiders or Bengals. But I don’t think he ever really wanted to leave. And sometimes, just comfort alone is hard to beat. Cooper Rush is a solid backup that is a proven winner.”

Rush proved to be a solid option for the Cowboys last year as Dak Prescott battled injuries earlier in the season. Leading them to a 4-1 record in his starts last season, Rush has now landed a two-year deal with the Cowboys worth $5 million. One of those wins was over these very Bengals, who apparently came away impressed with how he performed against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

With Brandon Allen being the backup for the last several seasons, it sounds like the front office is at least exploring its options, which is a wise move given that Allen hasn’t exactly impaired confidence that he can lead this team to big wins if Joe Burrow goes down.

Could be something to monitor as the market continues to cool down heading into the summer.