Robert Griffin III, the former No. 2 overall NFL draft pick, has weighed in on the Atlanta Falcons' ongoing quarterback issues, suggesting that veteran players could provide much-needed stability. His comments came after the Falcons' third-string quarterback, Cooper Rush, had another difficult outing on Sunday.
Griffin took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his views. "When Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are stinking it up in Atlanta it makes zero sense that QBs like Cam Newton, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill and myself aren’t the veteran presence in the room to stabilize teams when their QB goes down," Griffin posted. "These guys were playing for Carolina today."
Rush was benched during the Falcons' 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 86 yards and threw two interceptions, also fumbling the ball on the opening drive. His replacement, Jack Strand, fared only slightly better, throwing for 59 yards and an interception.
The Falcons made significant investments in their offense during the offseason, hiring new coach Kevin Stefanski and acquiring Pro-Bowler Tua Tagovailoa on a team-friendly deal to complement 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. However, the team has faced a worst-case scenario with both Tagovailoa and Penix Jr. sidelined heading into the season, impacting key offensive players like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
Griffin, who spent seven seasons in the NFL, accumulated 9,200 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. His career, which began with promise after winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, was hampered by injuries. His last NFL season was in 2020 as a backup for the Baltimore Ravens, where he appeared in four games, completing 8 of 14 passes for 42 yards and two interceptions.
Following his playing career, Griffin transitioned to broadcasting, working with ESPN and Fox Sports. The Falcons are preparing for a short turnaround as they travel to Green Bay for a Thursday night game. The team is expected to get a boost with Michael Penix Jr. slated to make his first start of the season.