Tua Tagovailoa out for Week 1 as Falcons’ QB debacle takes another turn
It’s already Cooper Rush season in Atlanta.
The Falcons ruled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out for their Week 1 game in Pittsburgh on Friday, following the an oblique injury suffered during practice Thursday.
“Cooper has been a backup in this league,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday. “He knows how to prepare.”
Jack Strand will suit up as insurance behind Rush, with Stefanski not specifying how long Tagovailoa could be sidelined.
With Michael Penix still recovering from a knee injury that ended his second NFL season and Tagovailoa out, it’s up to Rush to start things off for the Falcons.
Rush, a veteran backup, was signed in the offseason due to the iffy situation facing the Atlanta QB room.
On Thursday, Tagovailoa fired off a pass and then went to the ground, grabbing at his midsection. Rush finished the practice taking first-team reps.
“It’s huge,” Rush told reporters Friday. “All those reps matter, and its a big advantage for me. If you have to go in there, at least you have some reps.”
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Despite his summer struggles, Tagovailoa was expected to be Atlanta’s QB1 to open the season in order to give Penix more time to get fully healthy after ACL surgery.
“I am disappointed for him, obviously,” Stefanski said of Tagovailoa. “He’s a very competitive person. So, we’re disappointed. But he’s going to rally behind Coop and do everything he can to help Cooper.”
Tagovailoa was cut by the Dolphins after last season, one year into a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension, with poor play further marring a concussion-filled tenure in Miami.
He finished the 2025 season with 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 14 games before being benched in favor of Quinn Ewers.
Rush spent last season with the Ravens, getting into four games with two starts, going 0-2 with 303 passing yards, no TDs and four interceptions.
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That came after a seven-year stint with the Cowboys.
