Mike Kadlick#16 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 17, 2026

Kadlick expects Atlanta to start Cooper Rush at quarterback in Week 2 against Carolina, with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa still injured.

Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original

Waitinggraded once the result is in

What Mike Kadlick said

They'll travel to Atlanta this weekend to face off against the Falcons, who'll likely start quarterback Cooper Rush as Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa continue to deal with injuries.

Our reading: Cooper Rush to be 1st on the depth chart

Where it was published: Sports Illustrated
The piece: NFL Week 2 Schedule 2026: Ranking All 16 Games From Worst to Best
The original: Read the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

How the call scored

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.

Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.

The call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same call; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.

Where this call stands in the room

Cooper Rush · 2026 season

Mike Kadlick — 1the room — 6 calls from 5 punditsmedian 1

Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.

Their call against the room

1They said

1The room (5 pundits)

Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.

Depth Chart Calls Cooper Rush Atlanta Falcons
Cooper Rush to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Who this take is about

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Others on the same people

Alex Curry · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders and to be thrown into the starting lineup immediately, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta within weeks.
Alex Curry · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be the No. 1 overall pick and land with the Raiders, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta.
JP Acosta · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Acosta expects John Harbaugh's Giants to jump to roughly seven wins in year one, and forecast several offseason moves: Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh, Daniel Jones returning to the Colts, Kirk Cousins being released by Atlanta, and Brandon Aiyuk leaving San Francisco.
Gregg Rosenthal · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Rosenthal gave their award ballot: Drake May atop their MVP list (though they expect Matthew Stafford to actually win), Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year, Bijan Robinson for Offensive Player of the Year, Tetairoa McMillan for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mike Macdonald for Coach of the Year and Broncos O-line coach Zach Strief for Assistant Coach of the Year. They also expect Kirk Cousins to be cut by Atlanta.
Parker Hurley · Trade and Signing Calls · Jessie Bates · Miss 0
Hurley argues a Jessie Bates trade to San Francisco is unrealistic because Atlanta remains in the weak NFC South race and likely won't sell, and they expect 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown to depart in free agency after this season.
Carter Bahns · Score Predictions · Atlanta Falcons · Miss 19
Bahns predicts a high-scoring Madrid game in which Atlanta's more reliable defense, bolstered by the return of pass rusher James Pearce Jr., gets the edge over Cincinnati, with the Falcons winning 34-30.

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