Tua Tagovailoa Out for Falcons vs. Steelers, Latest Injury Updates with Cooper Rush Set to Start

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss his team's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an oblique injury , per head coach Kevin Stefanski, who told reporters that the signal-caller is now " week-to-week ."

Stefanski also said the injury is unrelated to a tight back that Tagovailoa arrived at training camp with that cost him about a week of practices, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi .

The Falcons have officially named Cooper Rush as their starting quarterback for Week 1.

Atlanta still awaits the return of Michael Penix Jr., the team's No. 1 starting quarterback last year before he suffered a torn ACL in November against the Carolina Panthers. He is nearing a return but will be inactive for Week 1.

"I had that conversation and I just told [head coach Kevin Stefanski], 'I'm not where I want to be right now,'" Penix told reporters . "I want to be able to be 100 percent so I can help this team win football games. And I'm really close."

The Falcons signed Rush after Tagovailoa's back issue earlier in camp. He has made appearances in eight NFL seasons for the Dallas Cowboys (seven years) and the Baltimore Ravens (2025).

For his career (42 games, 16 starts), Rush has completed 364-of-596 passes (61.1 percent completion rate) for 3,766 yards, 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Atlanta also has rookie Jack Strand out of Minnesota State-Moorhead. Strand, a fan favorite, connected on 24-of-36 passes for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception in three preseason games.