The Falcons’ quarterback mess got one small bit of clarity this week: Michael Penix Jr. is back on top of the depth chart for Thursday night’s game against the Packers.
That alone doesn’t solve much in Atlanta, but it does end the Cooper Rush experiment, at least for now. Rush opened the first two games of 2026 because Penix and Tua Tagovailoa were both sidelined, but after Rush was benched for rookie Jack Strand on Sunday, the Falcons moved quickly to name Penix their Week 3 starter on a short week.
That leaves Atlanta with a quarterback room that still feels unsettled, which is exactly why it’s worth sorting through the whole group one by one. The scale here runs from 10, which is prime Tom Brady, down to 1, which is someone like Diego Pavia in my eyes.
Michael Penix Jr. lands at a 6.
Penix is still one of the trickiest quarterbacks in the league to pin down. The former top-10 pick has the arm to make every throw, and the talent is obvious.
But he’s only made 12 starts and sits at 4-8 as a starter, so the league is past the point of applauding flashes. He has to prove he can be the guy.
Health is the biggest question. Penix is coming off a torn ACL, his third in the last seven years, and that injury happened last November. The upside is still there when he gets back, but the real issue is whether he can stay on the field and how the knee will affect his growth.
He’s been cleared for full contact for nearly a month, and now he’s officially set to start in Green Bay - with the possibility that he could hold the job the rest of the season if he plays well. Even so, that doesn’t lock in his long-term future.
If Penix struggles, the new regime won’t sit still. A first-round quarterback in the 2027 Draft would be on the table, which is why his return matters, but doesn’t answer everything.
Tua Tagovailoa comes in at a 5.
His injury situation feels even more concerning in a strange way. Tagovailoa dealt with back problems at the start of training camp and is now working through an oblique issue. A Week 3 return doesn’t sound nearly as certain as Penix’s, and even if he’s available, it’s hard to see him starting.
Right now, he looks like a replacement-level starter or a bridge option. Last season in Miami backed that up.
Maybe there’s still a version of Tua that looks like his Pro Bowl self, but with the injuries piling up, that feels hard to bank on. He also doesn’t really bring more downfield aggression than Rush.
The Falcons may want to find out whether there’s anything left there, but he won’t get the nod unless Penix isn’t ready.
Cooper Rush gets a 3.
I considered dropping him to a 2 after the Week 2 disaster, but that felt too harsh. Rush was supposed to be the emergency quarterback, and he played like one. Still, three turnovers and a steady stream of throws behind receivers is rough for a veteran stopgap.
The numbers are brutal. Rush is last among qualified starters in passer rating at 42.5, and he’s 41st out of 42 quarterbacks to see the field in both EPA per play at -0.75 and total EPA at -34.62.
Only Aaron Rodgers is worse. The turnovers are one problem, but the bigger issue is that starting Rush leaves Tommy Rees with almost nothing to build around as a play-caller.
Atlanta never wanted this to happen, and it shows. At this point, Jack Strand probably should be the QB3, because Rush has no business seeing an NFL field again, even when injuries hit. He looked completely out of sorts, and it’s time to move on.
Strand checks in at a 4.
The Passtronaut had some momentum after people started climbing on the Strand-wagon this summer, and his preseason run showed that development is a process. His first NFL action against the Panthers didn’t go the way anyone wanted, but the setup around him was ugly.
Jahan Dotson bobbled his first pass attempt, and that play turned into a pick-six. Strand also didn’t have Kyle Pitts, Drake London, or Bijan Robinson working with him, and he wasn’t really prepared for NFL action. That’s on him, but he’s also younger, smarter, and more mobile than Rush, which makes him the more rosterable option.
Right now, Strand has a chance to grow into a quality backup, more like a QB3, if he gets the right development. Kevin Stefanski will keep working with him, and maybe there’s another look for him later in the year. Still, an undrafted free agent out of a D-2 school isn’t enough to shut the door on Dante Moore.
In Other News...
Falcons Loss Got Even Worse With One Panthers Hit Now Under Scrutiny
The Falcons 34-3 loss to Carolina already had plenty of ugly moments, but one late sequence added another layer to an afternoon Atlanta would rather forget. Bryce Young carved up the defense for 287 yards and three touchdowns, while Devin Lloyd helped swing the game with two interceptions, a sack and a pick-six, leaving Atlanta buried long before the final whistle.
Trevis Gipson Sr. then drew attention late in the game when he landed on a downed Falcons player, a play that could come under NFL review for possible discipline. Even in a lopsided result, those are the kinds of moments that can linger after the game film is done, and Atlanta may end up hearing more about the hit than it wanted after a rough day on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Have Another Reason To Be Furious About Panthers Loss
The Falcons already had plenty to stew over after a 34-3 loss to the Panthers, a game in which Bryce Young carved up Atlanta for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Devin Lloyd also made life miserable with two interceptions, a sack and a pick-six, leaving the Falcons staring at a lopsided result and another rough day against a division rival.
Then came a late-third-quarter moment that only added to the frustration. Panthers defender Trevis Gipson Sr. came down on a pile with a wrestling-style elbow after the whistle, a sequence that could draw NFL review for possible discipline and gives Atlanta fans one more reason to focus on everything that went wrong in the defeat. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Finally Get The Penix News Fans Have Been Waiting For
Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his long-awaited return as the Falcons starting quarterback in Week 3 against the Packers, a notable shift after Atlanta opened the 2026 season with Cooper Rush and Jack Strand under center. Penixs comeback comes after he recovered from a torn ACL, giving the Falcons a different look at the games most important position just as the schedule starts to settle in.
The timing matters, too, because Penixs presence has already changed the way the matchup is being viewed, with the Falcons odds improving once his return was announced. For a team trying to establish some stability early in the season, getting Penix back is more than a lineup note. It is the kind of development that can alter both expectations and the tone around the next game. [Read more 🡒]