Panthers' Week 3 opponent contemplating change at QB

The Carolina Panthers are catching a couple of pretty big breaks early on in their 2026 schedule.

Today, they will visit the Atlanta Falcons—who will be starting Cooper Rush at quarterback despite his having posted a 2.6 QBR in their Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's because Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from last year's ACL tear, while Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury.