Cooper Rush’s first two games as the Atlanta Falcons’ starter have done more than sink Atlanta’s offense. They may have made life harder for a certain type of veteran quarterback around the league.
Rush has been the league’s worst starter at the position through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, with Atlanta losing both games before he was benched in Week 2 for UDFA Jack Strand. In that stretch, Rush has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions, and the Falcons still haven’t reached the red zone with him leading the offense.
That’s a brutal look for a player who has hung around the NFL for nine years and three teams largely because he was supposed to be the kind of quarterback who can “pick up an offense quickly.”
The problem is that knowing the playbook only gets you so far if you can’t execute it on Sundays. Rush’s struggles are now the kind of cautionary tale that could spill over onto other veteran quarterbacks who have made careers out of being smart, steady QB3 types and emergency options.
Rush has never been mistaken for a great NFL quarterback, but he had at least shown he could be serviceable before. In what was basically the same offense that has Dak Prescott looking like a fringe MVP, he reached the high point of basically OK in 2023, going 4-4 with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Since then, the results have gone south fast. Over his last four starts between Atlanta and the Baltimore Ravens, Rush has lost all four while throwing one touchdown and eight interceptions.
His arm strength has always been below average by NFL standards, but now it has slipped to the point where he has no zip on the ball at all. As the kids nowadays say, Rush is throwing meatball subs over the middle of the field.
The Falcons clearly didn’t plan on leaning on him because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr., but the way Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees have called games makes it obvious they don’t trust Rush to handle the whole playbook. Any talk about veteran comfort or quick installation disappears when a 10-yard out route to London is basically off the table.
That’s why a different kind of free agent quarterback, like Will Levis, comes into the conversation. Levis may not be as polished mentally as Rush, but his arm talent is in a different class. And even if he’s not as fast a study, he can at least get the ball to London and Kyle Pitts in a way Rush hasn’t even tried to show.
Rush isn’t really the perfect stand-in for every veteran quarterback who bounces around the league as a backup or pseudo QB coach. But his play is not helping that group’s case.
If a wide receiver knew his route tree but couldn’t get open, he wouldn’t last. If an offensive lineman understood every blocking assignment but got driven into the backfield on every snap, he’d be gone too.
Rush was elevated into a starting job anyway, and he could get another shot on Thursday Night Football. But after this stint, it may be hard for him to find another NFL job - and others who fit the same mold may feel the fallout too.
In Other News...
Falcons QB Mess Just Sparked A Wild Veteran Debate
The quarterback picture in Atlanta has already turned into one of the leagues early talking points this season, with Tua Tagovailoa sidelined by injury and Cooper Rush having a rough opening stretch in the first two games. For a team trying to settle its offense before the schedule gets any tougher, the uncertainty under center has become impossible to ignore.
Robert Griffin III poured fuel on the conversation with a public critique of the situation, then floated a list of veteran free agents he believes could bring some stability, including himself, Cam Newton, Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Tannehill. Griffins name is the one that sent social media into overdrive, even though he has not appeared in a regular-season game since 2020, and the debate now says as much about Atlantas quarterback frustration as it does about any actual reunion talk. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Offense May Finally Get The Jolt Its Core Needs
After a rocky opening to the 2026 season, the Falcons are getting close to a much-needed reset under center. Michael Penix Jr. is expected back as the starter in Week 3, a development that could finally give Atlantas offense a steadier rhythm after Cooper Rush was forced into early action and struggled to move the group consistently.
That matters because this is not a roster short on core talent. Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts are all locked in on long-term contracts, giving Atlanta a foundation worth building around if the quarterback play stabilizes. Even with Penix's return offering some hope, the bigger picture still points toward 2027, when the Falcons may need to find their long-term answer at quarterback for good. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Are Betting Nick Folk Can Stop A Bigger Problem
Nick Folks rough start has not pushed the Falcons into an early change, at least not yet. After two games of the 2026 season, Atlanta is still sticking with the veteran kicker, leaning on the belief that experience and steady work on fundamentals can help him settle back in as the year goes along. Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman has framed the approach as one of patience, keeping the focus on technique rather than panic.
The timing matters because the Falcons are moving into a game against the Green Bay Packers with a position that can swing close contests still under a microscope. Atlanta is clearly hoping the support structure around Folk can help him regain his rhythm before the misses turn into something harder to manage, and the next few kicks will say plenty about whether that confidence pays off. [Read more 🡒]