The Atlanta Falcons will have to begin the 2026 season without their newly named starting quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out for Atlanta’s Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering an oblique injury in practice. The injury is a major setback for Tagovailoa, who was named the Falcons’ starting quarterback just days ago following a training camp competition.
Tagovailoa was limited during Thursday’s practice after appearing to favor his back and briefly going to the ground during the open portion of the session. The Falcons quickly turned to veteran Cooper Rush, who took all of the first-team repetitions in practice.
Now, Rush will get the start Sunday in Pittsburgh.
Cooper Rush Steps In
Rush was originally brought to Atlanta as veteran insurance behind Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. With both Tagovailoa and Penix unavailable for the opener, that insurance has suddenly become extremely important.
Penix is still recovering from his knee injury and will also miss Week 1, leaving Rush as the clear choice to lead the Falcons against the Steelers. Rookie Jack Strand is expected to serve as the backup.
Rush has plenty of NFL experience, having started games during previous stops with the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens. He will now have the difficult task of stepping into Atlanta’s offense with very little time to prepare as the official starter.
A Brutal Start for Tagovailoa
For Tagovailoa, the timing could not be worse.
After being named the starter on Monday, he was expected to begin a fresh chapter in Atlanta and lead the Falcons into the regular season. Instead, an injury just days before kickoff has forced him to watch from the sideline.
The Falcons have not announced a timetable for Tagovailoa’s return beyond his Week 1 absence. For now, Atlanta will turn the offense over to Rush and hope its veteran quarterback can keep the team competitive against Pittsburgh.
What was supposed to be Tagovailoa’s Atlanta debut will have to wait.
