Cooper Rush is headed into Sunday with one big question hanging over him: will he get another crack at the Falcons’ offense?
That part is still unsettled, even after Atlanta’s Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rush, who started the opener, said Wednesday that he does not know whether head coach Kevin Stefanski will keep him in the lineup for the NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
“As kind of a career backup, you prepare every week,” the ninth-year NFL veteran told reporters.
“It doesn’t change. If anything, it’s just the rep count, but your process is the same - how much you study, how much you go over things.
You get used to it over the years. So that’s kind of part of the job.”
Rush’s status has been tied to a messy quarterback picture since the season opener. He got the start after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a midweek oblique injury, while Michael Penix Jr. is cleared to practice but still working back from a partially torn left ACL. Rush also dealt with back spasms in that game, though he said they feel “a lot better.”
The performance against Pittsburgh was rough from the start. Rush completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards, threw one touchdown and two interceptions, and one of those picks went 35 yards the other way for a TJ Watt pick-six. He finished with a 51.9 passer rating, a 2.6 QBR, took four sacks, averaged 2.1 air yards and went 2-for-5 on throws of 10 yards or more.
“Just wasn’t mentally sharp,” Rush said when asked about the game.
At Wednesday’s practice, Rush said he and Penix split first-team reps. Tagavailoa did not practice, and rookie Jack Strand worked with the practice squad. Atlanta also has an unusual emergency third-string option in Olamide Zaccheaus, who is a wide receiver.
If Rush does get the nod Sunday, he already knows the fixes he wants to make.
“Be efficient with my feet and eyes, that’s one thing I took from the game,” Rush detailed. “Just having a better feel for some of the reads and things like that.
Stuff you work on week-to-week - never changes. That stuff sometimes iron itself out.”
For now, though, the decision is still pending. And the next chance, if it comes, would arrive in Atlanta’s home opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Panthers bring a three-game winning streak in the divisional matchup after sweeping the Falcons in 2025. Atlanta’s last win over Carolina came in October 2024, a 38-20 result in Charlotte.
“Division game, always fun. Those are big games; they’re important.
The home opener’s fun,” Rush said. “So really excited about that.”
Falcons-Panthers kicks off at 1 p.m. on FOX. Both teams enter at 0-1, with Atlanta falling to Pittsburgh and Carolina losing 59-37 to the Chicago Bears.
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