Steelers’ entire defensive game plan just got thrown out the window following a last-minute QB injury ahead of Week 1 opener
The Pittsburgh Steelers were supposed to take on Tua Tagovailoa this week to open the season. Still, after a last-minute injury, the Steelers and Mike McCarthy will face a familiar face instead.
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent all week preparing to face Tua Tagovailoa in their Week 1 home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. That game plan is now in the trash. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Tagovailoa is officially out after suffering some sort of back/oblique injury during practice this week. He was not seen at practice on Friday, and shortly after, the Falcons made the announcement official.
So the immediate question becomes: who starts for Atlanta?
Cooper Rush gets the nod for the Falcons
Tagovailoa was acquired via free agency after the Miami Dolphins decided to cut bait with him this offseason. It was supposed to be a quarterback battle between Tua and Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta, but Penix didn’t get cleared to play until very late into training camp. The Falcons handed the starting job to Tagovailoa, who has often dealt with injuries throughout his career. Now, with Tua going down just days before the opener, Cooper Rush will make his first-ever season-opening start in the NFL.
If that name sounds familiar, it should. Rush started for the Dallas Cowboys when Dak Prescott was injured during the 2024 season. His head coach in Dallas? New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy’s familiarity with Rush could be an advantage for Pittsburgh
From the Steelers’ perspective, the preparation pivot is significant. Pittsburgh prepped all week for Tagovailoa, a quarterback who effectively had his career in Miami end during a game in Pittsburgh. That work gets thrown out, and now the Steelers insert Rush into the game plan.
The silver lining is that McCarthy knows Rush inside and out from their time together in Dallas. Running back Rico Dowdle told Brooke Pryor of ESPN of Rush, “He’s going to take what the defense gives you.”
That familiarity could give the Steelers defense a real edge. McCarthy can tell his coaching staff and players exactly what tendencies Rush brings to the table, what he likes to do under pressure, and where the opportunities lie. It’s a last-minute wrinkle, but the kind that might actually tilt in Pittsburgh’s favor.
The Steelers should still take care of business
Regardless of who lines up under center for Atlanta, the Steelers are at home and should be the better team on Sunday. A late quarterback switch is disruptive for any opponent, and while Rush is a capable backup who showed he can manage games in Dallas, he is not the kind of quarterback who will elevate the Falcons beyond what the Steelers defense can handle.
Pittsburgh lost its original game plan, but it may have gained a matchup advantage in the process. The Steelers kick off their season at home, with a head coach who knows the opposing quarterback better than almost anyone in the league. That should count for something when the final whistle blows on Sunday.
