Cooper Rush Is Torching Fantasy Rosters: 4 INTs, Worst Passer Rating in NFL
Rush leads the league with four picks and a 42.5 passer rating through two weeks — and he's one of the NFL's shakiest injury insurance plans.
Four INTs and last in passer rating make him unstartable in any format.
- Rush: 4 INTs, most in the NFL through Week 2
- 42.5 passer rating ranks dead last leaguewide
- Just 2 PPR pts in 4 games last season (2025)
- Lost his last 5 starts across three teams
- Filling in for Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.
The NFL's quarterback depth problem stopped being an offseason talking point and became a Sunday reality. With Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. all sidelined at various points, the league's backup ranks are getting exposed — and nobody's been uglier than Cooper Rush. Through two weeks in 2026, the Atlanta Falcons fill-in leads the league with four interceptions and sits dead last in passer rating at 42.5.
That's a stunning fall for a passer who once looked like the gold standard of backup insurance. Rush won nine of his first 13 career starts in Dallas, the kind of number that lands you near the top of any 'best backup situations' list. Then the floor gave out: he's dropped his last five starts, a losing streak spanning his 2024 finish with the Cowboys, both 2025 outings with Baltimore, and now both Atlanta starts in 2026 while covering for Tagovailoa and Penix.
Why The Backup Well Ran Dry
Rush isn't an isolated case — he's a symptom. Around the league, teams are discovering there simply aren't 64 competent quarterbacks to go around. Kyle Allen in Buffalo has thrown three regular-season passes since 2023. Quinn Ewers gave Miami a rollercoaster three starts as a rookie. Trey Lance completed 45.5% of his passes in his lone Chargers start last year. When starters go down, the drop-off is a cliff, not a step.
For fantasy managers, the takeaway is blunt: streaming a backup QB in 2026 is a minefield, and Rush is the landmine. He mustered just 2 PPR points across four appearances last season (2025), throwing zero touchdowns against four picks. His floor isn't low — it's a trapdoor. There's no volume, no rushing upside, and no efficiency to bail him out.
The Fantasy Verdict
If you're rostering Rush as a bye-week bridge or a deep-league dart, cut the cord. He's unstartable in every format until he proves the Falcons job is stable and the turnovers stop. More broadly, this is your reminder to prioritize QBs with mobility and real target volume when you stream — because the position's depth has never been thinner, and betting on a backup to save your week is a bet you'll usually lose.
Bottom line: SIT Rush, and treat any injury-forced backup as a last resort rather than a plan. Handcuffing an elite fantasy QB with his own team's No. 2 is dead money this season.
