The Atlanta Falcons are truly in dire circumstances at the quarterback position. Michael Penix Jr. isn't expected to return until Week 3 and Tua Tagovailoa is still hurt, which meant that it would be another week with Cooper Rush starting--but the calls to see Jack Strand replace him got louder than ever.
In Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, Rush was somehow worse than he was in the opener against the Steelers despite being both healthier and having more first-team practice reps under his belt, but still turned the ball over three times with two interceptions and an opening-drive fumble.
According to Will McFadden, Strand reportedly got his shot amid the veteran's continued struggles.
Undrafted rookie QB Jack Strand is now in the game for the Falcons.
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) September 20, 2026
With the Falcons trailing the Panthers 27-3, they finally turned to the undrafted rookie--but it was way too little too late. He threw a pick-six on one of his first pass attempts and was proof that they waited too long to turn to him and that just because someone shines in the preseason doesn't mean it'll translate on Sundays.
The Atlanta Falcons finally replaced Cooper Rush with Jack Strand, but at what cost?
The management of Strand (and the quarterback room in general) from Kevin Stefanski and the Falcons makes absolutely no sense. What was the point of rolling with Cooper Rush again after what you saw last week? Even if it's for a game, wouldn't you want to see what you have in the 22-year-old?
Putting him in the third quarter of a blowout was late. They could've put him in way sooner when Rush was struggling and the offense couldn't generate any juice, but they waited until they had nothing to lose and the game was already out of hand--so they were essentially setting Strand up to fail all day.
Waiting so long to turn to the former Minnesota State-Morehead standout feels like coaching malpractice. It's Week 2 of the season, so it's not like they're tanking already. This was Kevin Stefanski believing Rush would give them the best shot to win, which is gross incompetence given the circumstances. He never planned for the QB injuries, but he chose to roll with Coop over Strand.
The bad news for Strand here is that if Penix returns on Thursday Night against the Packers, he'll probably never see the field again in 2026. But the good news is that he got to see the field, and even though it was a doomsday scenario, you can't say he hasn't earned the opportunity he was givem.
The Falcons talked all this about being proud of Strand's development, and while he's a long-term project, they really didn't have a choice but to throw him into the fire. And even though he entered the worst possible situation, he still looked better than the alternative due to his mobility.
The Atlanta Falcons were given the choice between starting Jack Strand and Cooper Rush, and even in limited action, Strand displayed enough upside to let them know they chose poorly--and should have been in sooner had he not started the entire game.
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