Despite clearing up ample cap room before the new league year, the Dallas Cowboys have been familiarly passive to start free agency. While a plethora of household names remain available, the initial signing frenzy is all but over.

The Cowboys have been linked with a number of big-name free agents, including former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and former 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, but the front office has yet to follow through with a deal.

Unlike Greenlaw, Kupp is still available, but his reported contract demands make Dallas a long shot landing spot. The front office will likely have to look elsewhere – hopefully not the draft – for WR2 for Dak Prescott. That is arguably the biggest need on the roster behind cornerback.

What else this roster desperately needs is a backup quarterback. While Prescott isn’t injury prone, he’s missed time due to injury in three of the last five seasons and Cooper Rush and Trey Lance are free agents.

The Cowboys could draft their new backup when all is said and done. The odds of that happening increased dramatically after the latest QB signing.

Cowboys lose ideal Dak Prescott backup as Gardner Minshew signs with Chiefs

The Chiefs have signed journeyman QB Gardner Minshew to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Fresh off losing to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, Kansas City has solved its backup quarterback conundrum behind Patrick Mahomes.

Former Cowboys rival Carson Wentz served as the Chiefs’ QB last season. While Wentz has draft pedigree in his corner and nearly won an MVP once upon a time, Minshew has comfortably had a better last couple of years than the former second overall pick.

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Minshew admittedly did not have a great 2024, but he was trapped in a doomed-to-fail situation. Saddled with the now-fired Antonio Pierce as his head coach and maybe the worst set of skill position players in the league, Minshew posted a career-low 81.0 passer rating and threw nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

It’s important to note, though, that the longtime cult hero is one season removed from leading the Colts to a 7-6 record in 13 starts while throwing for 15 touchdowns to nine picks.

Minshew hasn’t quite been able to recapture the magic from his Jaguars days, but he’s been a borderline starter throughout his career. He has a career 88.4 passer rating and an impressive 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio (68 TDs to 34 INTs).

The Cowboys could do a lot worse than Minshew at the QB2 spot. His gunslinger style of play would’ve been a breath of fresh air relative to Cooper Rush’s game-manager, conservative nature.

It’s unclear if Dallas was in on Minshew. If they were, we don’t blame the 28-year-old for chasing a Super Bowl ring with the undisputed favorites.