Falcons QB Undecided: Stefanski Won't Rule Anyone Out — SkimNews
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- Kevin Stefanski said the Falcons are not sure who will start at QB Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, telling reporters Monday he is "not ruling anybody out."
- Cooper Rush, the team's third-stringer, started Week 1 in a 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh, going 12-of-22 for 143 yards with 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a league-worst 2.6 QBR.
- Tua Tagovailoa remains day-to-day with an oblique injury and will not practice Wednesday; Stefanski declined to commit to Tagovailoa as the starter even if he is healthy.
- Rush is also not fully healthy — a Saturday flareup of back spasms required treatment — but will be a full practice participant Wednesday.
- Michael Penix Jr., returning from left ACL surgery, is fully cleared to practice but has not indicated he is ready for live game action.
- Jack Strand, an undrafted rookie from Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead who was the team's best QB in preseason, remains a possibility despite limited practice reps since camp ended.
Why it matters: For a Week 2 game, the Falcons' realistic options are a third-stringer who posted a league-worst 2.6 QBR, a QB coming off ACL surgery, or an undrafted D-II rookie — because Tagovailoa is sidelined by an oblique injury. Stefanski's refusal to commit to Tagovailoa even when healthy signals the competition may outlast Sunday.
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