According to Ian Rapoport, the Falcons are expected to start Cooper Rush for their home opener against the Panthers, with Michael Penix Jr. not yet ready to make his debut.

There’s been a lot of understandable commotion surrounding the Falcons quarterback situation. Kevin Stefanski said earlier in the week that all four quarterbacks could potentially get the nod, but it’s always felt like things were trending towards Rush starting for the second consecutive week despite his woeful performance against the Steelers.

Michael Penix Jr. isn’t quite comfortable enough with his knee yet to play, even though he’s been cleared to do so by the doctors. Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury, which is always a difficult injury to come back from. And while the fan base would love to see undrafted rookie Jack Strand, it never appeared the coaching staff seriously considered him as an option.

That’s discouraging, because the entire world knows what Cooper Rush is, and that’s not a competent starting quarterback. He’s made three starts over the last two seasons, throwing for just one touchdown compared to six interceptions. Rush couldn’t even complete a pass past the line of scrimmage last week, severely handicapping what the Falcons could do offensively.

Perhaps he’s better in Week 2, and for the coaching staff’s sake, he better be. This is the first major test for the new regime — one they are failing miserably through one week.

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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)