The Atlanta Falcons have named their emergency third quarterback for Sunday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the team will look to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus to back up Cooper Rush and Jack Strand in Week 1.
With Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. both ruled out, head coach Kevin Stefanski had to get creative. Since the Falcons only have two running backs on the roster, Zaccheaus will also serve as the team's third-string running back on Sunday, per Schefter.
"Cooper Rush will be Atlanta’s starting quarterback today, undrafted free agent Jack Strand will be the backup, and with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. both inactive, wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus will be the Falcons’
emergency quarterback vs. the Steelers. But Zaccheus’ role doesn’t stop just there. With the Falcons also having only two running backs active today, Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson, Zaccheus also will be the team’s emergency third-string running back." - Adam Schefter, ESPN
Rush is expected to play after suffering back spasms on Saturday. The Falcons kept four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster, but somehow they still barely have enough to get through the first game of the season. We'll see how Rush fares in his 17th career start on Sunday.
The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh. Check back at 11:30 a.m. for the team's full Week 1 inactives list.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons name emergency 3rd QB for Week 1 game vs. Steelers
