The Falcons are moving on from Cooper Rush and bringing in Andy Dalton.
Atlanta is signing the veteran quarterback, according to ESPN, and clearing room by releasing Rush after he started the first two games of the regular season. Dalton’s arrival gives the Falcons a different kind of option behind starter Michael Penix Jr., while Rush’s brief stint in the role is over after a rough opening to the year.
Dalton’s latest stop in Philadelphia barely had time to settle in before it ended. The 38-year-old spent the offseason and the first month of the regular season with the Eagles, where he initially beat out Tanner McKee for the backup job behind Jalen Hurts. But Philadelphia let him go on Oct. 9, and now he’s landing in Atlanta.
For Dalton, this is just the next chapter in a long NFL tour. Cincinnati picked him in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of TCU, and he spent nine seasons as the Bengals’ starter from 2011 to 2019. Since then, he’s moved around the league in a backup role, with stops in Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, Carolina and now Philadelphia before this latest move.
His career numbers are solid for a veteran reserve: a 62.6% completion rate and an 87.4 passer rating. The last time he took the field was in Week 3, when he briefly appeared in Philly’s loss to Chicago and threw one pass that was intercepted.
Rush, meanwhile, never found a rhythm in Atlanta. The Falcons averaged just eight points per game over the first two weeks with him at quarterback.
He completed only 54.5% of his throws and posted a 51.9 passer rating, with two interceptions in each start. Atlanta even went to Jack Strand in the Week 2 loss to the Panthers.
The move also reflects how much the Falcons need dependable depth behind Penix. He missed the first two weeks while recovering from the season-ending ACL tear he suffered last season, and he has also dealt with a rib injury. Penix has not missed a game because of it, but he couldn’t finish the Week 5 overtime loss to the Ravens, which pushed Tua Tagovailoa into the action and ended with a game-clinching interception.
With Dalton now in the mix, Atlanta has a clearer path to a more experienced backup if it decides Tagovailoa isn’t the answer. The Falcons’ quarterback room now centers on Penix, with Dalton, Tagovailoa and Jack Strand behind him.
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The roster change also means Cooper Rush is out after being moved off the 53-man roster to make room, a clear sign Atlanta wanted a different kind of insurance at the position. For a team trying to keep its quarterback situation organized, the switch suggests the Falcons value Daltons track record and voice in the room as much as whatever he might be asked to do on game day. [Read more 🡒]
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