Cooper Rush Benched for Jack Strand During Falcons vs. Panthers After 5 Turnovers in 2 Games

The Atlanta Falcons were forced to make another change at quarterback after another disappointing showing from Cooper Rush.

After throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, Rush was benched in the third quarter for rookie signal-caller Jack Strand. Fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta erupted after the quarterback change:

Unfortunately, it was more of the same for Atlanta as Strand's first pass was an interception returned for a touchdown:

The Falcons were planning on having Tua Tagovailoa open the year as their starting quarterback, but an oblique injury has kept him sidelined for the past two weeks. With third-year signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. continuing his recovery from a partially torn ACL, Atlanta was left to turn to Rush.

However, Rush's first start was far from effective, as he threw two interceptions in a 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He completed just 12 of his 22 passes and sustained four sacks.

Sunday's start against Carolina wasn't any better, as the nine-year veteran went 10-of-17 for 86 yards before being benched. Without an effective passing attack, star running back Bijan Robinson hasn't been able to get much going on the ground.

The Falcons appear to be on their way to their first 0-2 start since the 2022 season, but help could be on the way. ESPN's Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that Penix could be cleared to play against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. After Rush's disappointing showing and Strand's rough start, it's clear that Atlanta needs more stability under center to be competitive this year.