Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Cooper Rush


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Marcus Mariota News

Marcus Mariota Suffers Sprained MCL, Likely Out for Rest of Preseason

Sunday, August 16, 7:19 AM

Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota (knee) suffered a sprained MCL in the team's preseason opener on Friday against the Miami Dolphins that will likely keep him out for the rest of the preseason, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's unclear at this time if Mariota's knee injury will keep him sidelined going into Week 1 of the 2026 regular season versus the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 13. Either way, the Commanders might be in the market for a veteran signal-caller to provide more depth behind starter Jayden Daniels. The other QBs on the roster are Sam Hartman and undrafted rookie Athan Kaliakmanis. The 32-year-old Mariota played a big part in the Commanders' offense a year ago with Daniels only playing in seven games due to injury, although he went 2-6 in his eight starts while throwing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his 11 total games played.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Cooper Rush News

Falcons Sign Quarterback Cooper Rush

Wednesday, July 29, 5:26 AM

With quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. both dealing with injuries to begin training camp, the Atlanta Falcons have signed veteran Cooper Rush, according to NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Penix did not practice throughout OTAs or minicamp as he continues to recover from a 2025 season-ending knee injury, and Tagovailoa is reported to be experiencing back tightness ahead of training camp, forcing the Falcons to add Rush two days before their first practice of the summer. The 32-year-old career backup started two games in 2025 in his lone season with the Ravens, throwing for 303 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions before being supplanted by Tyler Huntley and eventually released. Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday that Tagovailoa "will be out there sooner rather than later," but in the meantime, Rush could find himself briefly working with the first-team offense.


Marcus Mariota vs. Cooper Rush

Still trying to decide between Mariota and Rush? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Marcus Mariota is projected to score 1.0 points this week while Cooper Rush is projected to score 0.0 points.