Tua Tagovailoa ruled out of Falcons opener against Steelers; Cooper Rush in line to start

The Atlanta Falcons will open their season without their new quarterback.

Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers because of an oblique injury, according to the Falcons' final injury report.

Tagovailoa did not practice Friday after being limited Thursday. He appeared to experience discomfort after throwing a pass during the portion of Thursday's practice open to reporters, grabbing his right side and briefly dropping to the ground.

Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski had named Tagovailoa the starter earlier in the week, with Cooper Rush serving as his backup. With Tagovailoa unavailable, Rush is in line to start in Pittsburgh.

Michael Penix Jr. was also ruled out despite fully participating in Friday's practice. Penix continues to recover from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.

Cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. and offensive tackle Cameron Williams will also miss Sunday's game. Defensive end Za'Darius Smith is questionable with a shoulder injury.

Tagovailoa was preparing to make his Falcons debut at the same stadium where he made the final start of his Miami Dolphins career.

He joined Atlanta after throwing a career-high 15 interceptions and being benched for the final three games of the 2025 season.