Tua Tagovailoa ruled out of Falcons’ opener with oblique injury, Cooper Rush steps in against Steelers
Less than a week after being named the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa will miss at least Week 1 because of an oblique injury. The Falcons will travel to Pittsburgh without Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. in uniform.
First-year head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out and is now “week-to-week.” Penix was already listed as out last week.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa’s injury is unrelated to the tight back he arrived at training camp with, which cost him about a week of practices, according to ESPN.
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Veteran quarterback Cooper Rush will now be QB1 on Sunday.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush (13) looks to pass during a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Aug. 22, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Chris Carter/Getty Images)
Penix, a 2024 first-round pick, started nine of the Falcons’ first 10 games last season, missing the Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins with an injury before returning in Week 9.
He tore his ACL in a Week 11 matchup against the Carolina Panthers and has since been medically cleared to return, though he recently told reporters he wants to feel closer to full strength before taking the field in 2026.
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“I had that conversation and I just told [coach Stefanski], ‘I’m not where I want to be right now,'” Penix said earlier this month. “I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help this team win football games. And I’m really close.”
The Falcons signed Rush after Tagovailoa’s apparent back issue surfaced earlier in training camp.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa calls the snap against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Aug. 28, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Rush has appeared in 42 regular-season games over eight NFL seasons, seven of them with the Dallas Cowboys. He spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa speaks with head coach Kevin Stefanski during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Aug. 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Rich Storry/Imagn Images)
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Jack Strand, an undrafted free agent from Minnesota State Moorhead, will serve as Rush’s backup. He quickly won over fans with a series of highlight-reel plays during the preseason, finishing the exhibition slate with 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
