We knew Michael Penix Jr. wouldn’t be under center in Week 1 for the Atlanta Falcons. Apparently, neither will Tua Tagovailoa.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Friday afternoon that Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury and Cooper Rush will be the team’s starting quarterback for their Week 1 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jack Strand will be the backup quarterback.
Tagovailoa, who’s considered “week-to-week,” per ESPN, appeared to suffer the oblique injury in practice on Thursday afternoon, with a video showing when he may have first felt the discomfort.
Atlanta signed Tagovailoa, a 2023 Pro Bowler, to a one-year deal in March following his release from the Miami Dolphins. Last season (2025), Tagovailoa totaled 2,660 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 15 interceptions and an 88.5 passer rating over 14 starts, while completing 67.7% of his passes.
As for Atlanta’s Week 1 starter, the 32-year-old Rush has 16 NFL starts under his belt, most recently making two starts for the Baltimore Ravens last season. He previously made 14 starts for the Dallas Cowboys (one in 2021, five in 2022 and eight in 2024). Meanwhile, Penix is recovering from a season-ending knee injury he suffered in Week 11 of last season and won’t be on the active roster to open the year.
Catch Rush and the Falcons in action against the Steelers on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
