Cooper Rush Injury Update Ahead of Falcons vs. Steelers After Tua Ruled Out With Oblique Issue

Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa apparently aren't the only Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks dealing with injury issues ahead of Sunday's season opener.

Quarterback Cooper Rush "experienced back spasms earlier Saturday but will start Sunday," the team announced Saturday (h/t AtlantaFalcons.com's Will McFadden ).

Tagovailoa was already ruled out Friday due to an oblique injury, while Penix is working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered last November.

Jack Strand is currently set to back up Rush when the Falcons open the season Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rush, who appeared in four games with two starts last season with the Baltimore Ravens, has been with the Falcons for fewer than two months.

He signed with the organization, the day before training camp after the Falcons announced Tagovailoa was slated to miss time with a back injury.

Strand, who signed with the Falcons after going unselected in the 2026 draft, is the only quarterback currently available should Rush not be able to play.

The 22-year-old starred at DII Minnesota State-Moorhead for four seasons before making it onto the Falcons' 53-man roster.

Stefanski also said Friday the Falcons would have an emergency third quarterback on the roster, although he did not confirm who that player will be, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

The Falcons named Rush starter Friday after ruling out Tagovailoa, who left Thursday's practice early with an oblique injury.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tagovailoa is considered day-to-day with his injury, which head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters is not related to the quarterback's previous back issues.

Tagovailoa had been previously been named starter over Penix, who did not rejoin his team as a full practice participant until late August.

Penix said earlier this week that he had told Stefanski he was "not where I want to be right now" heading into Week 1.

Both the Falcons and Steelers will now be keeping an eye on Rush's injury status, which will determine the possibility of Strand making his NFL debut.