Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Falcons will start Cooper Rush in place of injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in their season opener, they announced Friday.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Jack Strand will be the Falcons' second string quarterback for the matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
"He's a very competitive person, so disappointed," Stefanski told reporters, when asked about Tagovailoa. "But he's going to rally behind Coop and do everything he can to help Coop."
Rush took all of the Falcons' first-team offensive reps Thursday and continued to lead passing drills at Friday's practice session. The veteran quarterback threw for 303 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions, over four appearances last season for the Baltimore Ravens.
Rush completed 61.1% of his throws for 3,766 yards, 20 scores and 14 interceptions over the first 42 appearances of his NFL career. He started 16 times during that span.
#tagovailoa #pittsburgh #season #first
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Jack Strand will be the Falcons' second string quarterback for the matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
"He's a very competitive person, so disappointed," Stefanski told reporters, when asked about Tagovailoa. "But he's going to rally behind Coop and do everything he can to help Coop."
Rush took all of the Falcons' first-team offensive reps Thursday and continued to lead passing drills at Friday's practice session. The veteran quarterback threw for 303 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions, over four appearances last season for the Baltimore Ravens.
Rush completed 61.1% of his throws for 3,766 yards, 20 scores and 14 interceptions over the first 42 appearances of his NFL career. He started 16 times during that span.
#tagovailoa #pittsburgh #season #first
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