Atlanta Falcons QB Cooper Rush prepared to start with Tagovailoa’s health in question
ajc.com/sports/2026/09/falcons-qb-cooper-rush-prepared-to-start-with-tagovailoas-health-in-question/
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Rush Ready for Possible Falcons Start, Tagovailoa Status UnclearTua Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury during practice, after which Cooper Rush took every first-team snap.
- After Tagovailoa’s oblique injury Thursday, Rush said he took every first-team snap.
- Tagovailoa’s availability against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium remains uncertain.
- Signed on July 29, Rush had worked with the starters only once throughout the summer before Thursday.
- General manager Ian Cunningham said Rush was retained as experienced insurance against potential quarterback injuries.
A guy that has started games in this league, has been a really good backup for a number of years — for us to be able to get a player of his caliber at that point, we were fortunate," Cunningham said. "To see 'Coop' and Jack continuously get better throughout while Tua and Mike were getting healthy. Coming in with that, thinking, 'All right, there’s some injury risk with those guys,' trying to protect against that. There’s a little bit of an insurance policy.— Ian Cunningham, Falcons general manager, on Rush as an insurance policy and roster decision
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SB Nation Sep 11
Tua Tagovailoa injury: Falcons QB suffers oblique injury in practice: The Falcons may be without Tua Tagovailoa against the Steelers Sunday
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Atlanta Falcons QB Cooper Rush prepared to start with Tagovailoa’s health in question
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