Falcons Announced They Have Named Cooper Rush Starting QB for Week 1
Who would be the starting quarterback? That is the exact question that Atlanta needed to answer before their first game of the season. And with just days (hours even) till kickoff; the answer finally materialized for the organization. On Friday morning the Falcons announced they have named Cooper Rush starting QB for Week 1. The Falcons have now named at least six different starting quarterbacks in just the last six years.
As one can see, consistency has been an issue for Atlanta. Finding the right guy to helm the offense has been a real struggle. It’s been a QB carousel for the franchise. Therefore, to understand it is time for a brief history lesson.
Matt Ryan started in Week 1 of the 2021 season – his final year with the Falcons before he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. The team tried its best with Marcus Mariota in 2022 and Desmond Ridder in 2023. Kirk Cousins won the starting job in 2024 and Penix began the 2025 season as the starter. Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from a partially torn ACL that he suffered in Week 11 of the 2025 season against the Carolina Panthers. Forcing the team to look into other options such as Tua and Rush.
But now, Tagovailoa and Penix Jr. are among the 16 players so far that have been ruled out for Sunday. Players ruled out for Sunday include Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa, Teddye Buchanan, Nnamdi Madubuike, Teven Jenkins, Jonathan Greenard, Eli Stowers, Joseph Ossai, Tim Patrick, Cedric Gray, Oscar Delp, Audric Estime, Cam Jordan, Brock Bowers, Garrett Williams, Malik Davis.
Falcons Announced They Have Named Cooper Rush Starting QB for Week 1
Nevertheless, the Falcons have now figured out their QB situation. And all in time for Week One. Even if Rush may not be 100%.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, “For weeks the debate about the Falcons starting QB centered around Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. And yet when the Falcons open the season Sunday vs. the Steelers, their starting QB will be Cooper Rush. Falcons starting QB Cooper Rush, who was replacing the injured QB Tua Tagovailoa, experienced back spasms Saturday but the team said he still will start Sunday at Pittsburgh.”
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