Falcons sign veteran quarterback Cooper Rush amid injury concerns for Tua Tagovailoa
Falcons bolster quarterback depth
The Atlanta Falcons have signed veteran quarterback Cooper Rush to their roster as training camp commenced. This move comes after a series of developments regarding the team’s quarterback situation, including an injury to recent free-agent acquisition Tua Tagovailoa and other roster adjustments announced on Wednesday.
Rush brings an eight-year NFL career to Atlanta, having started 14 games for Dallas and two games for Baltimore. His addition aims to strengthen the quarterback room, which faced immediate challenges at the start of camp.
Tagovailoa limited by back injury
Tua Tagovailoa, who joined the Falcons from Miami during the offseason, is currently limited due to a back injury. The team announced that he will be restricted through at least the first week of training camp. Despite this, head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that Tagovailoa’s injury is not long-term and that he could return by the end of the current week. Stefanski stated that Tagovailoa had something “flare up” but would return “sooner than later.”
The situation left undrafted free agent Jack Strand as the only healthy quarterback available for the Falcons at the opening of training camp on Wednesday morning. This prompted the team’s decision to sign Rush.
Other quarterback and roster changes
Further complicating the quarterback picture, former top-10 pick Michael Penix Jr. has not yet been cleared for full team drills. Penix Jr. sustained an ACL tear last year in Week 11. He had participated in seven-on-seven drills during the team’s spring practices and is expected to continue those activities. Stefanski expressed confidence in Penix Jr.’s recovery process, noting that he is “hitting every single checkpoint.”
Additionally, the Falcons released third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian due to a non-football injury. Siemian had been with the Falcons since March and brought over 30 starts and 11 years of NFL experience, having played for 10 different teams. He had previously crossed paths with Stefanski when the latter was the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
Beyond the quarterback position, the Falcons made several other roster moves as training camp began. OT Jawaan Taylor, DB Billy Bowman Jr., OLB DeAngelo Malone, and ILB Troy Andersen were placed on the active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. These players can engage in all team activities except practice and can be activated once medically cleared. All four individuals missed practice time earlier in the year due to injuries, with Bowman’s injury disclosed as a ruptured Achilles that required surgery last season.
Furthermore, DL Zach Harrison and rookie DL Anterio Thompson were placed on the active/Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. Harrison suffered a knee injury last year that led to him being placed on Injured Reserve in November after accounting for 4.5 sacks through seven games. Thompson, selected with the No. 208 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, did not participate in rookie minicamp practices or mandatory minicamp earlier in the summer. Players on the active/NFI list, like those on the active/PUP list, count against the 90-man roster limit but can be moved to a reserve list if still injured at roster cutdowns, requiring them to miss at least four games of the regular season.
Falcons players reported to the facility on Tuesday, with training camp practices commencing on Wednesday.
Source: nytimes.com
