The Dallas Cowboys are playing with no hopes of reaching the NFL playoffs in 2024. However, they already showed last Sunday they can still be motivated to play hard and seek victory.
That’s what I expect them to do on Sunday only this time it’ll be against the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. In other words, more motivation should be there given it’s a NFC East clash.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to see the biggest reason why players show up motivated on a weekly basis even without playoff hopes is that it’s their job. They’re always fighting for a role on the team or a job, even. With that in mind, here are three players that have big reasons to keep fighting over the last couple of games of the season.
1. QB Cooper Rush
Where else could we begin? Despite a strong 9-4 career record as a starter, Rush’s future is far from certain. He will be a free agent next year at 31 years old and there might be a coaching staff change in Dallas.
With Dak Prescott picking up another serious injury to his resume, it wouldn’t be crazy for the Cowboys to take a stab at a late-round rookie quarterback next April if they want to start hunting for upside for the long, long-term future. Rush is coming off of his best game yet last weekend when he put up 292 passing yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
You know he’ll try to impress again to keep the Cowboys betting on him.
2. RG Brock Hoffman
Hoffman has shown enough to prove he can start for the Cowboys in 2025. But has he done enough to deter Dallas from picking a first-round talent in the Top 15 of the upcoming draft if a guard is the best player available? That I don’t know. Not to mention, teammate T.J. Bass could battle it out with him next offseason.
Hoffman has provided a much-needed mean demeanor to the Cowboys’ offensive line and it should be appreciated. But Hoffman knows he’s got to keep going strong to secure himself pole position at right guard next season.
3. TE Luke Schoonmaker
Though Schoonmaker has had some moments throughout the 2024 season, they still have been few and far between. He’s up to ten games of no more than a single catch and though he stepped up while Jake Ferguson was out injured, the reality is Schoonmaker will be fighting for his spot in the rotation next offseason against Brevyn Spann-Ford and other young players on the team.
He has two more games to re-affirm his early lead as TE2 before next offseason