The Carolina Panthers may face the Atlanta Falcons' fourth-string quarterback in Week 2.
The Carolina Panthers will be looking to get into the win column in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season when they take on the Atlanta Falcons.
Carolina is coming off a poor defensive performance in Week 1, giving up 59 points to the Chicago Bears. But the Panthers' offense did come alive against Chicago, with them scoring 37 points of their own.
So, as they prepare for the Falcons, the Panthers do feel good about where they stand. And against Atlanta, the Panthers' defense may have a much easier time.
The Falcons started their third-string quarterback, Cooper Rush, in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rush didn't play very well, throwing for 143 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Rush was thrown into the starting job late in the week when starter Tua Tagovailoa went down with an injury. The veteran couldn't do much against the Steelers, and it ended in a loss for Atlanta.
His play hurt the Falcons against Pittsburgh, and now his status for Week 2 against Carolina remains up in the air. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that playing four-string quarterback Jack Strand against Carolina isn't being ruled out.
Strand, an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State–Moorhead, could get his chance against the Panthers. While the Falcons will likely move forward with Rush, there is always a chance for Strand to be named the starter.
Stefanski said that he wouldn't consider playing Strand last week against the Steelers. This change of thought from the Falcons' head coach does put the possibility into play.
Strand played in 42 games in college, throwing for 13,161 yards and 126 touchdowns with Minnesota State. The Falcons liked what they saw from Strand, but his time on the field is likely to be limited with this team, barring injury.
“Listen, Jack, I’m very proud of his development, and he’s obviously thrust in a tough spot for a young player being a backup in the NFL,” Stefanski said. “Pleased with where Jack’s development is.”
If the Panthers were to face Strand, the likelihood of them getting a win in Week 2 would increase tenfold. Carolina would have to go out to earn the win, but playing an unproven rookie does make things a little more favorable, especially for a defense that just got shredded by the Bears.
The Falcons will give more insight into the quarterback situation later in the week, but the Panthers will have to prepare for all scenarios. The two teams will kickoff at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET this Sunday.
