Report: Cowboys will start Garrett Gilbert on Sunday versus the Steelers

The Dallas Cowboys went into this week of preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers by making a change at quarterback. Ben DiNucci, who got the initial start of his career against the Philadelphia, was not going to get a second start. Dallas made the decision to go with either Garrett Gilbert or Cooper Rush as their starter.

All week, Mike McCarthy ahs said that it would be an open competition between the two quarterbacks, but the smart money was always on Garrett Gilbert as being the guy. That was mainly from sources inside the organization hinting that Gilbert was getting more reps at practice and looked like the pick.

Today, it sounds like that is correct. There are sources saying the decision has been made and it will be Gilbert.

The Dallas Cowboys plan to start Garrett Gilbert at quarterback Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a source has confirmed.

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Gilbert, who was signed off the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad on Oct. 12, will be making his first NFL start and his first start of any kind since playing for the Orlando Apollos of the defunct Alliance of American Football in 2019. He entered the league in 2014 with the St. Louis Rams and has spent time with the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers and Browns.

Gilbert’s first start will be no easy task. The Steelers are among the very best defenses in the league and overall as a team they are very balanced. They are masters of the zone blitz among their other bag of tricks, so Gilbert will have a tall task. Here’s is McCarthy on Gilbert.

“He’s played a lot of quarterback,” McCarthy said Friday of Gilbert. “This guy grew up as a quarterback. His father [Gale] was a quarterback. I mean, he knows how to play the position. There’s no lack for confidence or know-how. Just really it’s about getting the timing and the continuity in order as far as running the offense. So, yes, I find him to have a lot of confidence. He’s been like that since the day he arrived.”

We’ll see how it plays out on Sunday.