New Delhi, Sept. 21 -- Cooper Rush is under center again for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season against the Carolina Panthers. That is not the plan Atlanta mapped out in March. It is the only option left after injuries stripped the depth chart.

Rush signed on July 29 as a veteran insurance policy. He remains the starter for the home opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium because Michael Penix Jr is still not cleared and Tua Tagovailoa is still dealing with an oblique injury.

Cooper Rush is starting by default. Penix spent the offseason rehabbing the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season against Carolina last November. He has been a full participant in practice, even splitting first-team reps earlier this week, but the Falcons h...