Cooper Rush spent the opening day of Falcons training camp on the roster bubble of a different kind. By Thursday, with kickoff looming and Tua Tagovailoa dealing with an oblique injury, the veteran quarterback had suddenly become one of the most important names in Atlanta’s Week 1 plan.
Tagovailoa hurt himself during individual drills at the Sept. 10 Falcons practice and is listed as a limited participant on the injury report. That opened the door for Rush to take every first-team rep on Thursday, giving him a real chance to run the offense ahead of Sunday’s opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“They kind of just told me ‘you’re up,’” Rush told reporters after Thursday’s practice.
For Rush, who made the 53-man roster as one of four quarterbacks and entered the week as the backup on the initial depth chart, it was his first meaningful turn leading Atlanta’s offense. He had only seen limited first-team work before Thursday, aside from a stretch early in camp when both Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. were unavailable.
“It was a good day,” Rush recapped the practice. “It was good to get out there, get some good real reps with that group, and we’ll see what happens.”
Atlanta right guard Chris Lindstrom came away impressed.
“He was great,” said Falcons All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom.
“His cadence was just picking up the rhythm of it. He does such a great job of being consistent. And consistency is the most important thing with that, to get off on timing.”
Lindstrom also said Rush’s communication was “excellent.”
The Falcons are also introducing a new offense under first-year coordinator Tommy Rees, and Rush said he’s ready if Tagovailoa can’t go on Sunday. He described himself as “up to speed” and credited the coaching staff for making the system easy to absorb.
“It’s a testament to the staff how well it’s coached that you can follow along and pick it up pretty quickly in terms of how it’s organized, the systematic stuff of it,” Rush said. “That’s been really helpful, and everybody in their first year together definitely helps it too.”
Rush has spent nearly a decade in the league, but chances to start have come sparingly. According to StatMuse, he is 9-7 as a starter with the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. His last three starts have all ended in losses, including a 17-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams last October, when he filled in for Lamar Jackson and completed 11 of 19 passes for 72 yards with an interception.
Still, Rush said the approach doesn’t change.
“You just got to stay ready,” Rush said. “Some weeks you might not have any reps.
So having reps today helps you get ready, whether you’re starting or not. So I’ll take advantage of those either way.
The mindset never changes.”
Falcons-Steelers kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh and will be televised by FOX. Atlanta is trying to beat Pittsburgh for the first time since 2006.
In Other News...
Falcons Injury Report Puts Several Week 1 Roles In Doubt
Michael Penix Jr. was a full participant in practice this week even as a knee injury has already ruled him out for the Falcons Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The encouraging sign for Atlanta is that no one missed practice entirely, but the injury report still gave the coaching staff plenty to sort through as the opener approaches.
Billy Bowman Jr. was limited by an Achilles injury but remains hopeful he can suit up, while Brandon Dorlus, ZaDarius Smith, Zachariah Branch and Kyle Hinton were also on the report in limited fashion for various reasons. For a team trying to get its first-game rotations settled, that leaves a few roles in the secondary and elsewhere hanging in the balance right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Have A Tua Concern They Cant Ignore
Tua Tagovailoas first days as the Falcons newly named starter already have a little extra weight to them, and Thursdays practice session added an unexpected layer. Tagovailoa appeared to be in discomfort and briefly went to the ground during the workout, a sight that immediately put the focus back on the back issue that bothered him during training camp. He did not throw again during the media portion of practice, and the team is set to update his status in its next injury report.
For Atlanta, the timing is the part that matters most. Tagovailoa was just handed the starting job, with Cooper Rush and rookie Jack Strand behind him on the depth chart, so any health concern around him lands differently than it would in midseason. The Falcons now have to sort out whether this was a brief practice scare or something more significant, and the answer should come soon enough when the injury report gives a clearer picture. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookie Is Already Turning One Veteran Spot Into A Real Battle
The Falcons Week 1 depth chart brought one of camps clearest developments into focus, with rookie Kendal Daniels listed as the starting second linebacker next to Divine Deablo. Daniels had been gaining ground all summer, stacking up first-team reps in training camp and the preseason while making a strong enough impression to push veteran Christian Harris down the board. For a team that has talked all offseason about earning roles rather than inheriting them, it was a notable nod to how far the rookie has come in a short time.
Christian Harris still gives Atlanta a seasoned option at a spot that rarely stays settled for long, but the early indication is that the coaching staff is willing to trust what it sees over experience or previous investment. Daniels rise has turned what looked like a straightforward veteran role into a real competition, and the Falcons now have at least one lineup decision that says as much about the teams standards as it does about the player who forced the issue. [Read more 🡒]