Steelers Could Face Falcons Third-String QB After Tua Tagovailoa Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a potential quarterback situation to monitor heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Falcons starting signal caller Tua Tagovailoa appeared to be dealing with a back issue of some sort during practice and did not throw again during the portion of practice that the media is allowed to view.

"During the open media portion of practice, QB Tua Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down on the grass briefly during individual drills Thursday," Raimondi wrote on X. "It was unclear exactly what had happened. He didn’t seem to throw again after, but media only gets to watch a small portion of practice."

During the open media portion of practice, #Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down on the grass briefly during individual drills Thursday. It was unclear exactly what had happened. He didn’t seem to throw again after, but media only gets to watch a small portion…
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 10, 2026

How This News Could Potentially Impact the Steelers in Week 1

Tagovailoa was named Atlanta's starter earlier this week over 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., who is dealing with a knee injury at the moment but was listed as a full participant on the team's most recent injury report on September 9.

Tagovailoa, who was cut by the Miami Dolphins this offseason and subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Falcons, missed the first week or so of training camp this summer due to lower back spasms, and it's possible he's still feeling the effects of that injury.

Tagovailoa struggled against the Steelers during a Week 15 matchup on Monday Night Football last year in what turned out to be his final game for Miami, throwing for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 28-15 victory for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers had been preparing to face Tagovailoa this week and match up favorably against the left-hander considering he's limited from an arm talent and mobility standpoint.

It obviously helps that Pittsburgh's defense played well against him late last season, though it now seems like Tagovailoa's status for Week 1 might be a bit more up in the air.

Aug 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush (13) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter of a pre season game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Who Could Steelers Face if Tagovailoa is Ruled Out?

Perhaps Atlanta will try to push Penix Jr. forward and have him in a spot to play against Pittsburgh this weekend.

If he's still deemed not ready, though, than Cooper Rush would be next in line. The veteran backup was a member of the Dallas Cowboys during Mike McCarthy's entire five-year run as the franchise's head coach from 2020 to 2024, and he spent last year with the Baltimore Ravens.

As a result, the Steelers are familiar with Rush from multiple angles. The 32-year-old went 0-2 in his starts for Baltimore, throwing no touchdowns and four interceptions with 303 yards on 52 passing attempts.

Undrafted free agent Jack Strand is also on the Falcons' roster as their fourth quarterback, and he's drawn some intrigue, but it feels unlikely that the team would turn to him against Pittsburgh.

The Steelers were always in a good spot when it came to how their defense shaped up against Atlanta's offense given their quarterback situation, and that optimism would only be heightened if Tagovailoa doesn't play and Rush steps in for him.

Should that outcome materialize, Pittsburgh would have to put additional emphasis on stopping the run. Bijan Robinson led the league in scrimmage yards last year with 2,298, and surely defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has already been taking the necessary precautions to ensure that he doesn't take over the game.

With a stout group of run-stuffing interior defensive linemen and EDGE rushers, particularly in the case of T.J. Watt, the Steelers have the necessary pieces to at least curtail Robinson's production. There's no flat-out stopping him, however.

Their pass rush should also give whoever is behind center for the Falcons fits, and maybe that's all it'll take to earn the win in the end.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!

Add us as a preferred source on Google