The Atlanta Falcons did not wait long to address the injury concerns in the quarterback room, as the team turned to former Dallas Cowboys QB and longtime backup, Cooper Rush, to add veteran experience.

The Falcons signed Cooper Rush on Wednesday, July 29, ahead of their first practice at AT&T training camp to bring in an experienced veteran capable of providing immediate depth and additional reps during training camp.

“The Falcons signed Rush in the wake of quarterback news to start camp. On Wednesday morning, the Falcons released veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian amid a flurry of moves. Head coach Kevin Stefanski then announced Tua Tagovailoa would miss the start of camp due to a minor injury,” senior reporter Will McFadden wrote on the Falcons' official website.

According to McFadden, Tagovailoa is expected to return "sooner than later" and Michael Penix Jr. has not yet been cleared for full participation.

Rush was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys after the 2017 NFL Draft, playing for seven seasons with the Cowboys and one year with the Baltimore Ravens behind QB Lamar Jackson in his NFL career.

He has completed 364 of 596 passes attempted (61.1%) for 3,766 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, across 42 games (16 starts) played over eight seasons.

His career-best campaign was with the Cowboys in 2024, where he started eight games, completing 60.7% of his passes for 1,844 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Rush served as the third-string quarterback behind Jackson and Tyler Huntley, where he started two games when Jackson was sidelined due to a hamstring injury, before Huntley claimed the backup role.

With undrafted rookie Jack Strand as the only fully healthy QB available for first-team reps, Rush's arrival provides the Falcons with much-needed veteran depth to fill the QB4 spot.

Tagovailoa handles minor flare-up while Penix recovers

Tua Tagovailoa's minor injury has not been disclosed by the team, as they consider it to be a minor "flare-up." But according to ESPN, "sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the veteran quarterback is dealing with a tight back."

The Falcons expect the veteran QB to return next week as the injury is not serious.

Meanwhile, Michael Penix Jr. remains uncleared for 11-on-11 team drills as he continues his recovery from a season-ending ACL tear suffered last November during the Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Until Tagovailoa and Penix Jr. return to full participation, Rush provides the Falcons with an experienced insurance option at quarterback.

Can Cooper Rush make an impact in Atlanta if called upon this season? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Dallas Cowboys Community.

Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore