The Falcons are making a quarterback swap after Week 6, and the change points straight to where Atlanta thinks it can get more stability behind Michael Penix Jr.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Atlanta is releasing Cooper Rush to create room on the 53-man roster for Andy Dalton. Rapoport posted, "The Falcons are releasing Cooper Rush, sources say," after the Dalton news surfaced Monday morning.
The move comes after the Falcons lost to the Chicago Bears in Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season. Penix played well in that game and kept reinforcing that he’s locked in as the starter moving forward.
But the rest of the quarterback depth chart has been shakier. In Week 5, when Penix left briefly because of injury, Tua Tagovailoa struggled.
Add in the early-season issues from Rush and Jack Strand, and Atlanta’s four-man QB room had become a real question.
Dalton is now set to join the 53-man roster, and while his own 2026 sample size is tiny, the Falcons clearly value the veteran presence he brings. Dalton has thrown one pass for the Eagles this season, and it was intercepted at the goal line. Even so, his long career with the Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals and other teams gives Atlanta reason to see him as the stronger option for the third quarterback spot.
Rush was the cleanest roster casualty. Tagovailoa remains the team’s QB2, and Strand still offers more long-term appeal as a rookie.
Rush’s run in Atlanta didn’t give the Falcons much reason to keep him around: in Weeks 1 and 2, he went 22 of 39 for 229 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. That’s the kind of line that makes a veteran vulnerable once a team finds a more proven arm.
So while the timing may line up with Dalton’s arrival, the decision itself isn’t much of a stunner. Rush had become the obvious cut once Atlanta decided it wanted Dalton in the building.
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Falcons Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Quarterback Depth
Michael Penix Jr. gave the Falcons a spark in the loss to the Bears, throwing three touchdown passes in a 31-23 defeat, but the aftermath made it clear the team still wanted more certainty behind center. Atlanta moved quickly to address its quarterback room, adding a veteran with a long league rsum after he was recently let go by Philadelphia.
The addition gives the Falcons another experienced option as they sort out their depth at the position, and it comes with some immediate roster housekeeping attached. Atlanta is also parting with Desmond Ridder, a move that underscores how seriously the team is taking the need for stability as it looks to regroup after the Chicago loss. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Have A Return Game Problem They Can't Ignore
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Branchs miscues came in different phases of the return game, the kind of errors that can change field position in a hurry and give an opponent life. For a team already dealing with broader struggles, the pressure now is not just to clean it up, but to decide how much trust to keep placing in that part of the roster going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got Burned By A Bears Problem They Couldn't Solve
The Falcons ran into a Chicago passing game that looked far more settled than it did a few weeks ago, and Caleb Williams was at the center of it. Back in the lineup after the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2, Williams picked apart Atlanta with 30 completions on 36 throws, leading the Bears to a 31-23 win and giving Chicago exactly the kind of efficient performance it had been waiting to see.
For Atlanta, the frustrating part was not just the result but how thoroughly Williams controlled the afternoon. His 83 percent completion rate set a new franchise benchmark for a Bears quarterback with at least 30 pass attempts, a sign that Chicago found something the Falcons could not disrupt. The loss leaves Atlanta with another reminder that even when the season offers a chance to reset, there are still quarterbacks who can make a defense pay for every missed answer. [Read more 🡒]