Falcons name Cooper Rush starter as Tua Tagovailoa ruled out for Week 1
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss the Falcons' season opener with an oblique injury, prompting veteran Cooper Rush to start against the Steelers.
Atlanta quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been declared out for the team's Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to an oblique injury, head coach Kevin Stefanski said. The injury is classified as "week-to-week" and is unrelated to a recent back issue that kept Tagovailoa out of practice for about a week. The Falcons will also be without first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr., who was listed as out last week.
Veteran quarterback Cooper Rush will take over as the starter on Sunday. Rush, who has played in 42 regular-season games over eight NFL seasons, most recently spent the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens after stints with the Dallas Cowboys.
Penix, the 2024 first-round pick who started nine of the Falcons' first ten games last season, tore his ACL in Week 11 and has been medically cleared but indicated he wants to be fully recovered before returning.
The team also promoted undrafted free agent Jack Strand as Rush's backup after the preseason, where Strand recorded 306 yards, a touchdown and an interception.