Falcons: With Tua out, Cooper Rush draws the start — but Jack Strand looms
After it was revealed Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during yesterday’s practice, Kevin Stefanski announced that Cooper Rush will start the Falcons opening game against the Steelers. Stefanski: Cooper Rush will start and Jack Strand will be the backup. #Falcons — Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 11, 2026 Stefanski would add that Tagovailoa is week-to-week, […]
After it was revealed Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during yesterday’s practice, Kevin Stefanski announced that Cooper Rush will start the Falcons opening game against the Steelers.
Stefanski would add that Tagovailoa is week-to-week, but oblique injuries are always tricky and can oftentimes take north of a month to heal. After all the hoopla leading up to this moment, it’s possible Tagovailoa never takes a snap under center in Atlanta.
For Cooper Rush, this will be his 17th NFL start. The most he’s ever made in a season was back in 2024, when he started eight games for the Dallas Cowboys, leading them to a respectable 4-4 record with 1,844 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. Last season, Rush made two starts for the Ravens, going 0-2 with just 303 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Let’s hope the Falcons see the Dallas version of Rush on Sunday, or things might get really interesting. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand has already cemented his status as a folk hero for his tremendous work during the preseason. If Rush struggles mightily in Week 1, the calls to see Strand are only going to grow louder, and I’m not sure the Falcons should be so against the idea.
At least with Strand, there is the unknown possibility of something special. He has physical attributes few quarterbacks in the league can match. With Rush, the Falcons know exactly what they are getting, and it’s not exactly high-level quarterback play.
Outside of the quarterback room, Atlanta is entering the season rather unscathed in terms of injuries. Billy Bowman Jr. will not play as he nurses his way back from an Achilles injury. That was always likely given he just returned to practice; however, Za’Darius Smith, Brandon Dorlus, Kendal Daniels, Zachariah Branch, and Jawaan Taylor were all full participants on Friday. They will be on the field come Sunday.
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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
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