The Atlanta Falcons were down to their third-string quarterback in Cooper Rush for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With offseason signing Tua Tagovailoa battling an oblique injury and 2024 eighth overall draft pick Michael Penix Jr. recovering from last season's partially-torn ACL, Rush was under center for the Falcons vs. the Steelers and struggled in Atlanta's 20-13 loss. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that he wasn't naming a starter for Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers yet and added Wednesday that he hadn't ruled any of the trio of signal-callers.
Penix Jr., who was a full participant during Wednesday's practice, discussed his status with reporters. Rush and Penix Jr. split first-team reps on Wednesday, while Tagovailoa didn't participate in the session. The former signed with Atlanta on July 29 after playing four games and making two starts for the Baltimore Ravens last season.
Rush spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys from 2017 to 2024, setting high marks in games played (12) and started (eight) during his final campaign in Big D. He went just 12-for-22 with 143 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss vs. Pittsburgh, was sacked four times and posted a 51.9 passer rating.
Penix Jr. played five games during his rookie year and made three starts in place of Kirk Cousins before opening the 2025 season as the Falcons' starter. The lefty posted a 60.1 completion percentage with 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions across nine contests last season before suffering his injury in Week 11 vs. the Panthers.
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