Falcons cut DL Anthony Rush

Oct 6, 2022 - 8:05 PM

Anthony Rush has started all four games this year for the Falcons, but he’s now looking for a new team. The team announced a short time ago that they’ve cut Rush, which qualifies as a surprising move.

Rush, who joined the Falcons’ practice squad last year and then was elevated to the roster at about midseason, proved to be a quality addition to the interior of a defensive line that needed help in 2021. The team signed Eddie Goldman this offseason to push him a bit, but Goldman retired and Rush entered the year as a key piece of Atlanta’s defensive line rotation. He had been out there every game, playing about a third of the defensive snaps, but apparently Atlanta wasn’t happy with what they were getting from him.

This is a move that came out of left field because there was no outward indication that the team had soured on Rush, who was one of the better stories of the 2021 season. He had started all four games, after all, and the team isn’t exactly loaded with defensive line depth at the moment. I assume we’ll get more details and a corresponding move at some point in the near future, but at the moment I’m left scratching my head over why the team would do this just days ahead of their matchup against the Buccaneers.

With Rush gone, the Falcons will lean on Abdullah Anderson and rookie Timothy Horne, with Derrick Tangelo and new signing Jaleel Johnson being Sunday options for the team if they want to elevate someone from the practice squad. Unless Marlon Davidson is making a surprise return to the team off of injured reserve, I’m not sure I understand parting ways with Rush.

If he’s not back with Atlanta at some point, we wish him well, and I wouldn’t think he’d have a lot of trouble finding a new landing spot. We’ll see what’s next for the Falcons roster.