Falcons news: Is Cooper Rush going to start vs. Steelers amid Tagovailoa injury?

The Atlanta Falcons ' Week 1 quarterback situation might have just gone from complicated to disastrous.

Cooper Rush told reporters Thursday that he took all of the first-team reps at practice after Tua Tagovailoa went down in pain, according to Marc Raimondi.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo provided even more concerning context .

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"After Tua Tagovailoa went down in pain. The Falcons are prepping for the Steelers with QB3 right now," Garafolo reported.

That's not how Atlanta envisioned its final preparations for Week 1.

The Falcons announced Monday that Tagovailoa would start against Pittsburgh , with Rush serving as his backup. Michael Penix Jr., meanwhile, is expected to be inactive as Atlanta continues managing his recovery from last year's knee injury. Now Rush could suddenly be preparing to start the opener.

Nothing has been officially announced regarding Tagovailoa's availability, so taking all of the first-team reps doesn't guarantee Rush will be under center Sunday. But with only a few days remaining before kickoff, Atlanta clearly needs to have him prepared for that possibility. And Pittsburgh isn't exactly the opponent you'd choose for an emergency quarterback start.

Rush does at least provide the Falcons with an experienced option. The veteran has spent most of his career as a backup, including several seasons behind Dak Prescott in Dallas , and has been forced into starting situations before. Still, potentially entering Week 1 with your third option at quarterback is brutal.

Atlanta already knew Penix wasn't ready to play. If Tagovailoa's latest issue keeps him out as well, the Falcons' quarterback insurance policy will immediately be put to the test.

Week 1 hasn't even arrived yet, and Atlanta could already be scrambling.