Who is the Falcons' backup quarterback behind Michael Penix Jr.?

The Atlanta Falcons have dealt with quarterback chaos to begin the 2026 season. Tua Tagovailoa was expected to open as the starter while Michael Penix Jr. recovered from a torn ACL, but an oblique injury days before Week 1 thrust Cooper Rush into QB1 duties.

Rush was, to put it mildly, bad. The former Dallas Cowboy tallied only 229 passing yards and a touchdown to four interceptions, leading to undrafted free agent Jack Strand taking his spot midway through Week 2. Strand didn’t fare much better, throwing a pick-six on his first NFL passing attempt.

Things finally appear to be stabilizing at quarterback for Atlanta. Penix will start against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, giving some hope to an offense that’s somehow failed to reach the red zone through the first two games. Tagovailoa is also back, so he’ll serve as Penix’s backup tonight.

Here’s a complete look at the Falcons’ quarterback room.

QB1: Michael Penix Jr.

QB2: Tua Tagovailoa

QB3: Cooper Rush

QB4: Jack Strand

This is looking more like the group first-year coach Kevin Stefanski envisioned.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is the Falcons’ backup quarterback behind Michael Penix Jr.?