Tua Tagovailoa’s debut for the Atlanta Falcons will have to wait at least one week.
Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the Falcons’ season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Backup Cooper Rush, who signed with the team in late July, will get the start instead.
QB Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled OUT of Sunday's game.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) September 11, 2026
Billy Bowman, Michael Penix, Cam Williams are also out.
Za'Darius Smith is questionable.
Tagovailoa went down during Thursday’s practice with what the Falcons later said was an oblique injury. The nature and timing of the injury immediately cast his Week 1 availability into doubt, especially since he dealt with a back issue at the start of training camp that limited him for a while.
The Falcons gave Tagovailoa the starting job almost by default, as Michael Penix Jr. is not yet game-ready. The former Miami Dolphins signal-caller was already facing some questions about whether he could hold the job long-term after a shaky preseason with Penix lurking behind him. The timing of the injury means Tagovailoa will lose at least one opportunity to convince the Falcons that he can hold down the role.
Atlanta signed the former first-round pick to a 1-year, $1.215 million contract in March. Last season, he passed for 2,660 yards and 20 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in 14 games.
