A Friday announcement changed the Steelers‘ plans leading up their 2026 season opening game against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon. After Pittsburgh initially spent most of the week preparing for Tuan Tagovailoa to start, the veteran signal caller has been ruled out for Week 1.
Tuan Tagovailoa is out and Cooper Rush is in for the Falcons for Week 1
And in the absence of Tagovailoa, veteran backup Cooper Rush will be under center for the Falcons. This quarterback change, while not entirely out of nowhere, also means a change in the defensive strategy for the Steelers’ defense.
Tagovailoa, who was also only in line to start because Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from ACL surgery, suffered an oblique injury during practice earlier in the week. His availability was listed as day-to-day up until he was unable to practice on Friday, making it difficult for Atlanta to implement a plan in place for him in time for Sunday’s game.
But now the next man up for the Falcons is Rush. And while most may view Rush taking snap as even. more favorable for the Steelers, linebacker Alex Highsmith brought up the difference in seeing the right-hander in comparison to the left-handed Tagovailoa.
Alex Highsmith Acknowledges the Falcons’ QB Could Change the Steelers’ Strategy
“It changes because Cooper Rush is a righty and Tua [Tagovaila] is a lefty. We have been preparing in a way to play a lefty, which is a lot different since most QBs in the league are righties… for now, we’re still preparing like it’ll be Tua,” said Highsmith to reporters, including Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com, following practice on Thursday.
Cooper Rush Has Proven Capable in the Past
And while most are expecting Rush to make the matchup even more favorable for Pittsburgh, he has proven to be a capable NFL quarterback in the past. Rush threw for 303 yards in two starts with the Ravens last season, but he really showed what he’s capable of the year earlier with the Cowboys. In 2024, Rush appeared in 12 games, making eight starts. He threw for 1,844 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Career wise, he’s logged 38 games and 16 starts over eight active seasons, recording 3,766 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with a 61.1% completion clip. Highsmith being willing to acknowledge that the Steelers could have to adjust on the fly is notable, too.
Aaron Rodgers is Back for One Final Season With Steelers
Unlike Atlanta, Pittsburgh will enjoy playing their starting quarterback, as Aaron Rodgers decided to return for one more season with the Steelers and one final year in the NFL. In 2025, Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards and completed 65.7% of his passes while tossing 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. But Rodgers was unable to snap Tomlin’s personal playoff win drought – the Steelers last postseason victory came in January, 2017, throwing for just 146 yards and a pick in the Steelers’ AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.
The Steelers will welcome Atlanta to Acrisure Stadium at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Falcons Make QB Decision That Impacts Matchup With Steelers