Cooper Rush starts for Atlanta Falcons against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1

3 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 13, 2026, 2:00 PM

Last updated Sep 13, 2026

Cooper Rush starts for Atlanta Falcons against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1
Summary

The Atlanta Falcons will start Cooper Rush at quarterback for their Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Kevin Stefanski named Rush the starter after Tua Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury during practice on Thursday and Michael Penix Jr. remained unavailable for his debut. Tagovailoa had been previously announced as the starter on Monday. Rush enters the contest with 42 career game appearances and 16 starts. Rookie Jack Strand will serve as the backup quarterback for the matchup. The team has not identified a designated emergency third quarterback for the game.

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Status Watch
  • •Cooper Rush will start at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1
  • •Tua Tagovailoa is unavailable due to an oblique injury sustained in practice
  • •Michael Penix Jr. is not yet available for his debut
  • •Jack Strand will serve as the backup quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Latest Updates
  • 2:00 PMYahoo Sports — NFL insiders provide updates on QB Cooper Rush, DE Za'Darius Smith
  • 12:00 AMYahoo Sports — Former Falcons QB volunteers to step in after Cooper Rush injury
  • 9:03 PMYahoo Sports — NFL world reacts to Falcons starting Cooper Rush vs. Steelers
What they're saying
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Falcons QB Cooper Rush and DE Za'Darius Smith will play vs. Steelers, per NFL insiders

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NFL world reacts to Falcons QB Cooper Rush injuring back ahead of Steelers game

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Falcons fans spiral after Cooper Rush named starting QB for Week 1

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