Cooper Rush

Career StatsF

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	INT	RTG
Career		39	3,766	20	14	80.7
2025		4	303	0	4	48.8
2024		12	1,844	12	5	83.8

Performance Analysis

Cooper Rush delivers production that earns an F performance grade against QB comps. At 32 years old with eight seasons of NFL experience, Rush occupies the backup-to-emergency-starter tier—a depth piece whose limitations are fundamental rather than circumstantial. Across the 2025 season, he appeared in four games, a snapshot that reflects both the nature of the role and the constraints on meaningful evaluation of his arm talent and decision-making at volume. His value lies entirely in durability and organizational familiarity rather than on-field excellence; he's the kind of reliable depth option teams call on when injury decimates the position group, which is precisely Atlanta's current predicament with Tagovailoa sidelined and Penix Jr. unavailable. The Falcons signed Rush in late July as a sensible insurance policy during an unexpected quarterback crisis—not a signal of confidence in his ability to elevate the offense, but rather a pragmatic acknowledgment that a healthy backup is better than none. For a 32-year-old career backup, the F grade reflects the reality that this is replacement-level quarterback play; he stabilizes a roster in emergency mode without moving the competitive needle upward. As an established veteran, Rush's ceiling is capped, but his floor—showing up prepared to manage a game if asked—provides the kind of low-cost, low-risk organizational value that every team needs on the depth chart.

How Cooper Compares at the Position

Cooper Rush ranks 103rd of 107 graded quarterbacks by performance. That slots Cooper between Shedeur Sanders (F) just ahead and Zach Wilson (F) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Atlanta Falcons fans and writers have settled into a B- sentiment grade on Cooper Rush. The narrative around his signing is decidedly pragmatic—media coverage frames this as roster insurance rather than a meaningful QB competition, with the overwhelming focus on Tua Tagovailoa's back injury and the limited depth behind him forcing Atlanta's hand to a reliable game manager off the bench. That cautious optimism conflicts sharply with Rush's performance grade, which reflects the reality that he's a career backup with limited upside; his 2025 season saw him appear in four games, a reminder of the depth role he'll occupy in Atlanta. The recent wave of roster moves—adding Josh Woods, Keshawn Banks, Antwane Wells, and Devonnsha Maxwell while releasing Elijah Garcia—signals a front office in triage mode, prioritizing injury insurance across multiple positions, and Rush fits that narrative of necessary depth rather than championship upside. Fans view this signing as a band-aid: useful only if injuries linger, expendable within weeks if the QB room returns to health. The B- grade reflects neither enthusiasm nor criticism—it's the measured assessment of a depth acquisition that serves its purpose without pretense.