The Pittsburgh Steelers are just days away from beginning their 2026 season, as well as starting the Mike McCarthy era when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa its starter for Week 1 after signing him to a one-year deal this offseason. That said, Tagovailoa struggled in the preseason, leading to speculation that starting him could be “impossible” according to Ian Rapoport. Not only has Tagovailoa not looked like what the Falcons were hoping, he may not be ready to play
physically as much as mentally.
Per Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Tagovailoa reportedly suffered some sort of back discomfort on Thursday, leading Cooper Rush taking first-team reps. The Falcons officially listed Tagovailoa as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
At 32 years old, Rush is one of the NFL’s longest-tenured backups. He has appeared in 39 games in eight seasons, throwing 20 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Should he have to be the guy under center on Sunday, it gives a huge advantage to the Steelers.
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