Dak Prescott rushed off the field in such a hurry after a screen pa s to Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday night that viewers would be forgiven for thinking the Kentavius Street Jersey Cowboys quarterback abruptly went to change his number from 4 to 10. That was not the case.Instead, Prescott had suffered an injury to his throwing hand that forced him out of the game and sent him swiftly to the locker room during the team's Week 1 . The prognosis after the game was not good: he needs surgery to repair an injured joint above his right thumb and will mi s several weeks.It goes without saying that losing his starting quarterback in Week 1 was not what coach Mike McCarthy wanted to hear.Mike McCarthy's reaction when he found out the Dak Prescott news on the field: Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) MORE: So, who was No. 10? Enter Cooper Rush.Prescott's backup came into the game after Prescott had completed just 14 of 29 pa ses for 134 yards with an interception against a tough Tampa Bay defense. Rush didn't fare much better, completing 7 of 13 pa ses for 64 yards. And those numbers slightly inflated as Tampa Bay played mostly prevent with a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter.Rush has been thrust into the role of emergency starter before, but barring any moves made by the front office, this would be his most extensive NFL action.Teams usually don't have to prepare for a quarterback emergency this early in the season, so options are thin. Here's a look at who Dallas could turn to as the starter under center.Cooper RushRush is far and away the most likely replacement option. No. he is not an exciting option, but he's the one who is most familiar with the team's offense; he was the backup last year and a part of the team from 2017 through parts of 2020. Rush even filled in for Prescott in 2021 when Prescott was out with a calf injury. He played well, too, beating the Vikings 20-16 while completing 24 of 40 pa ses for 325 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.The 28-year-old has just that one start in his NFL career since leaving Central Michigan. He appeared in just five games prior to the 2021 season and completed 1 of 3 pa ses for 2 yards. He had a brief stint with the Giants, almost entirely on their practice squad, in 2020 before returning to Dallas. In college, Rush completed 62 percent of his pa ses for 12,891 yards, 90 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in four seasons.Cam NewtonThe top free agent on the market will certainly be a sociated with the Cowboys' sudden QB opening. Newton has filled in for teams in a pinch before. When Tom Brady left New England for Tampa Bay in 2020, Newton came in and started for a season. When Sam Darnold was injured and P.J. Walker couldn't produce for the Panthers in 2021, Newton returned to his old stomping grounds to start five games in eight appearances.Still, it would be unlikely to see Newton suit up against the Bengals in Week 2. When he signed with Carolina last, he needed time to get acquainted with the playbook before taking over for Walker. There's also the concern that his best days are well behind him. Between his 2020 season with the Patriots and 2021 in Carolina, he completed 63 percent of his pa ses for 3,341 yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, while rushing 184 times for 822 yards and 17 touchdowns.MORE:Ryan FitzpatrickFitzpatrick retired after the 2021 season, but could he come out of retirement if the right opportunity were to pop up? It can't beruled out. Fitzpatrick was a frequent short-term fix in his career; he started 147 games total for nine different teams. He opened the 2021 season as Washington's starter before being injured in Week 1. To date, that was the final game of his NFL career.Fitzpatrick has been signed to challenge younger QBs, fill in for injured quarterbacks or just be around as a competent backup. Since 2010, he has had only one season in which he threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and considering he's one of the smartest players in the game, it's po sible he could pick up a playbook fast. Still, given that he has already retired, it seems unlikely he'd come back to join his 10th different NFL franchise.Jimmy GaroppoloLet's be clear: this is highly unlikely. It makes some sense on the surface. The Cowboys need a quarterback. The 49ers already have their starter in Trey Lance. Garoppolo is steady and has twice led a team to the NFC championship game. He would be, by far, the best option on the market and would stand the best chance of keeping Dallas in playoff contention while Prescott is out.But a few factors are working against this. For starters, after and become the highest-paid backup in the league, there is no longer as much incentive for San Francisco to trade him. He provides a valuable safety net in case Lance struggles. Second, would the 49ers, a team with playoff aspirations, really trade an inexpensive starter to a team that won the NFC East last year? That certainly seems unlikely. At this point, Garoppolo probably isn't going anywhere. But if Dallas makes the 49ers an offer they can't refuse, maybe that opens the door for trade discu sions.MORE:Will GrierDespite being listed last here, Grier might be the second-most likely option to start. Grier is on the Cowboys' practice squad and is already likely to be activated after the injury to Prescott and the need for a new backup if Dallas doesn't look outside the organization. Who's to say he couldn't start over Rush? After all, both were on the practice squad just a few days ago. Rush was only elevated because the Cowboys had no one to back up Prescott for Sunday's game.Why is it not as likely to be Grier? That would likely be due to his track record in the NFL. One point for him over Rush: he has started two games in the league. One big point against him? Both games were awful. Grier's first NFL start came in Week 16 of the 2019 season against the Colts for the Panthers, and he completed 27 of 44 pa ses for 224 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. His next start came the following week against the Saints. He went 1 for 8 for 4 yards and a pick before leaving Trent Williams Jersey with a foot injury.Grier was a star in college at West Virginia after transferring from Florida. But his NFL resume leaves much to be desired.