Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t have expected the kind of start he’s having at training camp as the Atlanta Falcons‘ first-year head coach. Just last year, Atlanta had Michael Penix Jr. as the starting quarterback and veteran Kirk Cousins to back him up. Now, they still have Penix Jr. on the roster and have also signed former Miami Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa, but neither of them is available as the Falcons opened their training camp.

Per reports, Tagovailoa is dealing with a back injury, and Penix Jr. is still rehabbing his ACL tear. That forced the Falcons to address the quarterback room ahead of the 2026 season, and they surely did. Atlanta signed veteran quarterback Cooper Rush on Wednesday morning, just ahead of their first practice of training camp.

Rush is entering the tenth season of his NFL career and will now play for his fourth team. After going undrafted in the 2017 NFL draft, he joined the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent and spent much of his time as a backup quarterback to Dak Prescott. He got an opportunity to shine during the 2024 season, when he started eight games for the Cowboys and went 4-4.

During that span, he threw for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns before leaving Dallas to join the Baltimore Ravens. In 2025, Rush made two starts while filling in for Lamar Jackson. Now, he’s headed to Atlanta to join the Falcons’ quarterback room. The move comes after a series of changes reshaped the team’s quarterback depth chart.

At the start of training camp, Kevin Stefanski revealed that Tua Tagovailoa will not be fully participating in practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, later confirmed that the quarterback is dealing with a “tight back.” At the same time, Stefanski declared that they’re hoping Tagovailoa will rejoin the team “sooner rather than later.”

The Falcons signed Tagovailoa earlier this offseason after a disappointing season with the Dolphins, which ultimately led to him being benched. In Atlanta, he not only added experience to the quarterback room but also gave the Falcons a reliable veteran option while Michael Penix Jr. continued his recovery from injury. That brings us to another concerning development.

Penix Jr. started the Falcons’ 2025 season, but went down with an ACL injury in November. Since then, the third-year quarterback has been rehabbing. During the spring practice and later in the mandatory minicamp, Penix participated in individual passing drills on 7-on-7 work, but not 11-on-11.

The QB told reporters that it could take up to four weeks or even earlier for him to be cleared for action. He is currently training limitedly, and the clearance to participate in 11-on-11 drills could come earlier only if his knee takes the training well.

Now that the Falcons have begun their training camp, there is no positive update on Penix’s recovery. In fact, he will be held back from portions of the Falcons’ training camp practices. At the same time, Penix hasn’t yet been cleared to participate in full team, 11-on-11 drills.

Last but not least, the Falcons also released veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian with a non-football injury designation. That left Stefanski’s unit with undrafted rookie free agent Jack Strand on the depth chart. This is exactly why the Falcons have just brought Cooper Rush to bolster their QB room ahead of the 2026 season.