The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and the start of the Mike McCarthy era will see Cooper Rush starting for Atlanta. After suffering an oblique injury during practice on Thursday, Falcons starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the season opener.
Rush will step into the starting role unexpectedly after a tumultuous offseason for the Falcons quarterback room. Much of the discourse revolved around
whether or not the 2024 8th overall pick Michael Penix Jr. would be healthy for the start of the season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury he suffered last season. Penix Jr. is cleared for contact but is allowing himself more time to recover, and now the injury to Tagovailoa makes matters even worse for the Falcons.
After the news broke that Rush would get the start, his former teammate, Steelers running back Rico Dowdle, was asked what the veteran quarterback could bring to the table.
“He’s going to take what the defense give him, and he can go out there and win games,” Dowdle said Friday. “I think he showed that in Dallas, so expect a decent quarterback to come in there.”
Just about 48 hours before kickoff, the Week 1 matchup at Acrisure Stadium changed in a big way. The Steelers defense will now have to keep a Rush-led Atlanta offense in check as they begin their 2026 campaign.
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