Mark Sanchez was signed by the Cowboys on Saturday after being released by the Broncos hours before.
The journeyman quarterback, who was outplayed in the preseason by Trevor Siemian, a seventh-round pick last year, was brought in to Denver to take over the starting job from retired Peyton Manning. That never happened.
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Siemian had been named the Broncos starter for the 2016 season, which will begin Thursday with the defending Super Bowl champions hosting the Panthers. First-round pick Paxton Lynch will back him up.
Sanchez will head to Dallas to back up rookie Dak Prescott, who impressed with his near-flawless preseason. Tony Romo is expected to miss 8-10 weeks, if not more, after breaking a bone in his back during a preseason game, so Prescott will be given an opportunity to start in his place.
Sanchez, a first-round pick of the Jets in 2009, has thrown for 15,126 yards with 86 touchdowns and 84 interceptions over his career.
The Vikings would have been another possible destination for Sanchez, but they traded away next year's first-round pick to acquire Sam Bradford from the Eagles.
Details regarding Sanchez's contract were not immediately available, though it's likely just a one-year deal.
Omnisport's Alec Brzezinski contributed to this report.