ATLANTA, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons reshuffled their quarterback room on Monday, adding 16-year veteran Andy Dalton and letting go of Cooper Rush, the backup who opened the season as the starter.
Rush came to Atlanta when training camp opened because of injuries at the position, and he picked up the offense quickly enough to take a heavy load of preseason snaps. With Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa both hurt when the regular season began, Rush started the first two games. He threw for 229 yards in those starts, with one touchdown pass and four interceptions. Once Penix returned to the lineup in Week 3, Rush moved into the emergency third quarterback role on game days.
Dalton, 39, opened this season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is expected to compete with Tagovailoa to serve as the No. 2 behind Penix. Jack Strand stays on the roster as a fourth option at the position.
The new signee brings a long resume. Cincinnati drafted Dalton in the second round in 2011, and he spent nine seasons with the Bengals, earning three Pro Bowl trips. He later played for Dallas, Chicago and New Orleans, where he made 14 starts in 2022, before three seasons in Carolina from 2023 through 2025. Over his career he has played in 180 games with 169 starts, thrown for 39,793 yards and tossed 254 touchdown passes while hitting on 62.6% of his throws. His Pro Bowl nods came as a rookie in 2011 and again in 2014 and 2016.
The Falcons get little time to work him in. Atlanta returns home Sunday to host the San Francisco 49ers.
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