The Falcons could be forced to start Cooper Rush at quarterback on Sunday against the Steelers following an injury to starter Tua Tagovailoa. He appeared to hurt his back early in Thursday’s practice, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, giving Rush all of the first-team reps with just three days until Atlanta’s regular-season opener.
Tagovailoa, 28, was listed as limited on the Falcons’ Thursday injury report with an oblique injury. He was just named the Week 1 starter on Monday with Michael Penix still recovering from last year’s ACL tear. Penix was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but previously indicated he was “close” but not quite ready for in-game action. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the 2024 first-round pick would be inactive in Pittsburgh with Rush slated to serve as the backup and undrafted rookie Jack Strand on deck as the emergency third quarterback.
Tagovailoa’s potential absence is unlikely to accelerate Penix’s return timeline. Instead, Rush would be in line to make the 17th start of his career against a ferocious Steelers defense that ranked sixth in the league with 48 sacks last year. Strand, who took some first-team reps during training camp while both Tagovailoa and Penix were sidelined, would be promoted to the backup role.
Tagovailoa’s injury will only intensify speculation about his future in Atlanta. A solid Rush performance in Week 1 or a return from Penix shortly thereafter could place Tagovailoa on the bench for the foreseeable future. At that point, there is a “strong possibility” he is released outright, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, with the Falcons turning (back) to Penix as their long-term franchise quarterback.
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