Cooper Rush is a starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
That certainly wasn’t the plan for the Atlanta Falcons, who didn’t even sign Rush until July 29.
But on Sunday in Pittsburgh, it’ll be Rush leading the Falcons onto the field against the Steelers. It’ll be Rush with the task of putting Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts in positions to show just how good they are.
And if the Falcons pull off what would at this point be a surprising victory, it could very well be Rush at the heart of it.
It’s still a bit of a shock that Rush is actually starting, though. He was poor in fill-in duty for the Baltimore Ravens last season. The Falcons will be hoping he looks more like the guy who was a solid backup to Dak Prescott with the Dallas Cowboys earlier in his career.
Why Is Cooper Rush Playing QB for Falcons?
The Falcons have Rush starting at quarterback because they pretty much ran out of options.
Tua Tagovailoa is out with an injury.
Michael Penix Jr. is out with an injury.
That left Atlanta with the veteran Rush and the undrafted D-II rookie Jack Strand. There’s actually some optimism about Strand’s future, but it would’ve been a brutal assignment to give him a start in Pittsburgh in the first regular season week he’s ever experienced in the NFL.
So it’s Rush week for the Falcons.
Why Isn’t Tua Tagovailoa Playing?
Tua Tagovailoa was slated to be the QB1 this week for the Falcons, holding that role at the beginning of practices to prepare for the Steelers. But then he got hurt.
Tagovailoa hurt himself on a throw during practice on Thursday. While initially it was thought to be a back injury, it was eventually clarified as an oblique issue.
The lefty was held out of the rest of Thursday’s practice and didn’t practice Friday, either.
At this point, it’s not clear when Tagovailoa may have a chance to return.
Why Isn’t Michael Penix Jr. Playing?
Penix is close to being back, but the Falcons are being careful.
He had his second NFL season ended by a knee injury, and he’s already got a history of knee problems dating back to his long college career.
Atlanta had Penix cleared and up to full speed at practice, but the decision had already been made that he’d get at least one more week to ramp up while Tagovailoa started in Week 1.
Once Tua got hurt, the Falcons didn’t change their mind. They’re still thinking about the long-term plans with Penix, and they don’t want to risk bringing him back too soon.
So as no one expected, it’s Rush and Strand as the two QBs available for Atlanta in Week 1. It could certainly be interesting.
Why Cooper Rush Is Playing QB for Falcons, not Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix