QB Cooper Rush to start for Falcons as Tua Tagovailoa declared out

Veteran Cooper Rush will start at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in their season opener on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Friday.

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It was just Monday that team officials said Tua Tagovailoa would begin the season as QB1. Michael Penix Jr., the starter in 2025, continues to rehab his left knee from surgery he underwent last fall to repair a torn ACL and is not quite ready to play.

Tagovailoa, signed in the offseason following his release by the Miami Dolphins, went on the team’s injury report on Thursday after sustaining a right oblique injury during practice. He has been ruled out for Sunday, ESPN reported.

The injury occurred in the portion of practice open to the media. A snippet of video posted by 11Alive News in Atlanta showed Tagovailoa throwing a pass, then staggering to the turf while touching his back with his right hand. He quickly got back up on his feet.

The 32-year-old Rush, entering his ninth NFL season, has appeared in 42 NFL games and started 16 with the Dallas Cowboys (2017-19, 2021-24) and Baltimore Ravens (2025). He is 9-5 as a starter with the Cowboys and 0-2 with the Ravens.

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The Falcons decided to keep four quarterbacks on the roster, and undrafted rookie Jack Strand likely will back up Rush. With Tagovailoa and Penix both having extensive injury histories, the Falcons held on to an insurance policy with the fourth quarterback.

Strand, 22, signed with the Falcons in the offseason after concluding his college career at Division II Minnesota State Moorhead.

According to the NCAA, Strand ranks 10th in DII history in passing yards (13,161) and tied for fifth in passing TDs (126).

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–Field Level Media

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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 2:34 PM.