It’s all been a bit of a rush for the Atlanta Falcons‘ new potential Week 1 starting quarterback.
Cooper Rush, that is.
The Falcons planned to start one of Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix when they open their season in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 13 for a Week 1 clash with the Steelers.
It was already determined, though, that Penix wasn’t up to speed yet in his recovery from last season’s knee injury, and so he isn’t a part of the Week 1 plans.
That left Tua, who before Thursday seemed to avoid any kind of injury that would hold him out. But early in Thursday’s practice, Tagovailoa hurt his oblique, and the uncertainty began.
That’s where Rush comes in.
Rush took all the first-team reps at Thursday’s practice, and he would start if Tagovailoa cannot.
Friday’s practice will be pivotal, because if Tua misses out on all the first-team practice again, it could be tough to have him lead the offense on Sunday.
The Falcons’ only other quarterback is undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who was a Division II superstar but is taking a big step up to the NFL now.
There’s certainly a decent chance Rush could be the man on Sunday, and he’d do it while still living out of a hotel.
Cooper Rush in a Hotel
Rush revealed to reporters Thursday that he hasn’t even fully moved into Atlanta yet.
This is how the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s beat writer described the situation:
Cooper Rush is living in a hotel. His car is still “full of crap.” He has movers coming next week to bring the rest of his belongings to Atlanta.
And on Sunday, he may lead the Falcons’ offense onto the field at Acrisure Stadium.https://t.co/tAgVTjJL1R
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) September 11, 2026
Rush wants to get settled in, of course, but knowing the life of backup quarterbacks, he also might not be rushing while he’s on the fringes of the roster.
The story above does mention that Rush’s belongings are on the way, so he doesn’t plan to live in a hotel forever.
But that’s where he is right now. Rush only signed with the Falcons on July 29. He’s been focused on making the team, because he had to give himself a good reason to move all of his stuff to town.
Once the lefty QBs in Atlanta are healthy, there’s no telling what that’ll mean for Rush.
But in Week 1, Rush is all of a sudden very important.
Cooper Rush Concern
The worry with Rush is that his last fill-in action went poorly.
The Baltimore Ravens brought the former Cowboys backup aboard for 2025, and when Lamar Jackson got hurt early in the year, it was Rush’s turn, but he was so brutal that he eventually got benched for the guy who began the year as QB3, Tyler Huntley.
Rush had a more positive backup history in Dallas, so it’s not obvious whether he just wasn’t suited to run Baltimore’s offense or if his best days are behind him.
The Falcons are up against an always-imposing Steelers defense on Sunday, so they’ll certainly be hoping that Rush is up to the task.
Falcons’ Cooper Rush Is Still Living in a Hotel