As of Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still not sure who they will be facing when they kickoff the season on Sunday afternoon. They, of course, know the Atlanta Falcons will be their opponent, but it’s unclear who will be under center for the visiting team when the game kickoff at 1:00 p.m. ET.
It’s Unclear Who the Falcons Will Start at QB on Sunday
Veteran Tua Tagovailoa was named the Falcons’ starter out of training camp as Michael Penix Jr. recovers from offseason surgery, but he suffered an oblique injury earlier in the week in practice. He’s now listed as day-to-day, putting his status for Sunday in doubt. And if Tagovailoa can’t play, journeyman Cooper Rush, who Steelers head coach knows well from their time together in Dallas, will fill in for Atlanta.
Aside from career experience and accomplishments, there’s one other significant difference between two quarterbacks that could impact the Steelers’ strategy. Rush is right-handed, and in contrast, Tagovaila throws with his left hand.
Pittsburgh linebacker Aled Highsmith isn’t shying away from admitting their mentality as a defense will change depending on who is on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
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.
But either way, the Steelers will meet the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. And regardless if it’s Tagovaila or Rush, Pittsburgh will miss having to deal with Atlanta’s recent first round pick they are grooming to be the future of the franchise, Penix Jr., who is still recovering from surgery stemming from an ACL tear suffered in November.
Steelers LB Acknowledges Difference in Strategy Depending on Falcons’ QB