Cooper Rush is back in the AFC North conversation, and that’s probably the last thing Ravens fans wanted to hear.
Rush spent last season as Lamar Jackson’s backup in Baltimore, and the fit never really clicked. When Jackson was banged up throughout 2025, Rush got his chances and didn’t do much with them. He went 0-2 as a starter, threw no touchdowns and four interceptions, and became more of a problem than a solution for the Ravens.
Now he’s with the Atlanta Falcons, and there’s a real chance he could be the one under center in their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That possibility got more serious on Thursday, when Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury and was a limited participant. After practice, Rush said he took the reps with the 1s. Tagovailoa had already been named the Week 1 starter earlier in the week, but this new wrinkle could change the picture fast.
If Rush does get the nod, he’d suddenly be thrust into a game that could matter for the AFC North right away. No, nobody is talking playoff implications in Week 1, but the Steelers were already expected to win this one. Rush starting would only make Pittsburgh’s job easier and put a 1-0 start within even clearer reach.
The Ravens didn’t even get a chance to see Rush against the Steelers last year. That may have been a blessing.
Baltimore got swept by Pittsburgh in 2025, and those games would have been tough sledding with Rush in the mix. Instead, he’s now lining up for his first shot at Steelers week wearing a Falcons uniform.
There is at least some history that suggests Rush can be more than the version Ravens fans saw. In Dallas, he earned a reputation as a steady quarterback. His 2024 season backed that up: a 4-4 record, 1,844 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
He’s also had a few useful preseason moments in Atlanta. Rush opened with a rough Falcons debut, going 7-for-19 with no touchdowns and two interceptions. But after that, he settled in and completed 23 of 29 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown.
If Rush ends up starting and beats the Steelers, it would be a brutal opening result for Pittsburgh in Mike McCarthy’s era. And for Ravens fans, it would be one more reminder that Cooper Rush somehow still has a way of showing up in their division.
In Other News...
Ravens First Injury Report Puts Key Week 1 Names In Doubt
The first injury report of the 2026 season came with a few familiar names in limited roles, giving Baltimore an early sense of how much sorting out remains before the opener against Indianapolis. Wide receivers Zay Flowers and Devontez Walker were both listed as limited, while defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan also worked on a reduced basis as the Ravens started their week of preparation.
Flowers is still coming back from a hamstring strain, and Madubuike is continuing his gradual return from neck surgery, which makes his status worth monitoring as kickoff approaches. Indianapolis had its own share of caution on the report, with wide receiver Alec Pierce and safety A.J. Haulcy also limited because of offseason surgeries and injuries, setting up a week where both sides will be watching practice closely. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henrys Ravens Role Could Test One Big Baltimore Gamble
Derrick Henry is back in Baltimore for his age-32 season after back-to-back years of carrying a heavy load and still producing at a high level, and the Ravens are asking him to do plenty again as they settle into a new offense under rookie coordinator Declan Doyle. Henrys role remains central to what Baltimore wants to be, but there is also an understanding inside the building that the run game cannot be asked to solve everything on its own, especially with a system still taking shape around him.
The question now is whether the Ravens gamble holds up once the season starts and the touches pile up. Henry knows the offense has to get better overall, and the opener against the Colts offers an immediate test of how well Baltimore can balance his workload with the rest of the unit while also pressuring a defense that has its own issues to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Week 1 Outlook Still Hinges On Two Major Injury Decisions
The Ravens got through their first injury report of the week with every player on the 53-man roster listed as available, a reassuring start as they prepare for their opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Even so, the practice picture was a little more complicated, with Zay Flowers, Nnamdi Madubuike, Teddye Buchanan and Devontez Walker all working in limited fashion as the team begins to sort out who is truly ready for Week 1.
Flowers is expected to play, which gives Baltimore at least one important piece of stability on offense, but the larger questions still center on the status of Madubuike and Buchanan as they work back from major injuries. Walkers groin issue is considered minor, though it could still influence whether he suits up, leaving the Ravens with a few last-minute decisions to monitor before they take the field. [Read more 🡒]