The Atlanta Falcons benched quarterback Cooper Rush and replaced him with rookie Jack Strand in the third quarter of Sunday's NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Rush had two turnovers in the first quarter alone - a fumble on the first offensive play of the game and an interception a few minutes later. After Rush tossed another interception in the third quarter, head coach Kevin Stefanski decided he had seen enough.
Strand, an undrafted free agent out of MSU-Moorhead, impressed for the Falcons in the preseason. The rookie racked up 212 yards and two touchdowns (one rushing) for a passer rating of 132.5 in the Falcons' preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium started calling for Strand after Rush's second
turnover in the first quarter, and the team trailing 27-3, Stefanski made the move.
In other Falcons quarterback news, ESPN reported that Michael Penix Jr. will be back next week to face the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night football. Check back for Stefanski's post-game press conference for an update on the quarterback situation.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons rookie QB Jack Strand replaces Cooper Rush vs. Panthers
