Falcons quarterback drill draws social media ridicule ahead of home opener
A video of Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks hopping through an unconventional dropback exercise spread across social media Wednesday, drawing mockery from NFL fans as the team prepares to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand each took snaps and retreated with elongated, rabbit-like strides, a warm-up that quickly became a punchline across the league's fanbase. The laughs came during a week with real depth-chart questions behind center.
Key takeaways
- A video of Falcons quarterbacks doing an unconventional, rabbit-like hopping dropback drill spread across social media Wednesday and drew mockery from NFL fans.
- Cooper Rush started Week 1 and went 12-for-22 for 143 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Bijan Robinson generated 173 yards of total offense in Week 1, carrying an offense whose passing game underperformed.
- Michael Penix Jr. has been limited at practice after fall surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, but his knee appeared to move well through Wednesday's drill.
- Tua Tagovailoa missed Wednesday's practice with an oblique injury, leaving the Falcons' quarterback plans unclear ahead of Sunday's home opener against the Carolina Panthers.
A video of Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks hopping through an unconventional dropback exercise spread across social media Wednesday, drawing mockery from NFL fans as the team prepares to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand each took snaps and retreated with elongated, rabbit-like strides, a warm-up that quickly became a punchline across the league's fanbase. The laughs came during a week with real depth-chart questions behind center.
The depth chart heading into Sunday
Rush started in Week 1 and went 12-for-22 for 143 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Falcons stayed competitive that day largely because Bijan Robinson generated 173 yards of total offense, a backfield workload that carried the team's offensive throughput when the passing game could not. Rush's turnover total and completion numbers leave the pass attack as the thinner part of Atlanta's offensive capacity heading into the home opener.
Penix appeared in nine games for the Falcons last season but did not take a snap against Pittsburgh. He has been limited at practice after surgery last fall to repair a partially torn ACL, and his role in the offense this week remains unclear. Wednesday's session offered one small read: his knee appeared to be moving well through the drill.
Tua Tagovailoa was absent from Wednesday's practice in Atlanta, dealing with an oblique injury. Kevin Stefanski indicated he was not ruling anybody out, with injuries to both Rush and Tagovailoa continuing to cloud the team's quarterback plans ahead of the home opener.
In the drill, Penix and Strand appeared bought in, hopping with the elongated strides that earned every rabbit comparison on social media. Rush was going through the motions, and the contrast between starter and backup drew its own commentary on the tape.
What to watch Sunday
The Panthers game is the next confirmable read on how the Falcons manage their quarterback situation and whether the passing game can produce more than it did in Pittsburgh. Robinson's 173 total yards last week papered over a lot in Week 1. That kind of backfield output is not a sustainable plan for a home opener.
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Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on September 18, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.