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Atlanta Falcons sign Cooper Rush amid quarterback injuries

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ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons moved to bolster their quarterback depth on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, signing veteran Cooper Rush after simultaneous injury setbacks to Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. at the opening of training camp in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Tagovailoa, who joined Atlanta in March to compete for the starting job, will miss practice time with a back injury flare-up but is expected back without a firm timetable. Penix, recovering from a 2025 right ACL tear and previous college ACL injuries, remains limited to individual drills. Earlier Wednesday, Atlanta released veteran Trevor Siemian, leaving undrafted rookie Jack Strand temporarily as the only fully healthy quarterback for 11-on-11 sessions.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

On July 29, 2026 (8:00 AM EDT) Trevor Siemian was officially released with non-football injury designation.
On July 29, 2026 (8:51 AM EDT) Michael Penix Jr was confirmed limited in training camp drills.
On July 29, 2026 (8:59 AM EDT) Cooper Rush signed contract to join Falcons QB roster room.
On July 29, 2026 (9:08 AM EDT) Tua Tagovailoa back injury flare-up was publicly announced.
On July 29, 2026 (9:15 AM EDT) Kevin Stefanski held opening training camp media availability session.
On July 29, 2026 (9:30 AM EDT) Cooper Rush joined Jack Strand for initial team reps.
On July 29, 2026 (11:00 AM EDT) ESPN reported Tagovailoa expected back by next week.
On July 29, 2026 (2:00 PM EDT) Atlanta Falcons completed first full day of training camp.
Falcons coaching staff evaluates QB daily before preseason opener.
Tua Tagovailoa returns to 11-on-11 practice reps next week.

News Intelligence

Falcons face initial training camp QB shortage following multiple setbacks.
Quarterback competition timeline shifts while Tagovailoa and Penix heal.
Atlanta Falcons players, coaching staff, front office, and fans.
Monitor team medical reports and official press conference injury updates.