The Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to catch a break when Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out of Sunday’s season opener with an oblique injury suffered in practice just two days earlier. However, with Cooper Rush now set to start under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, analysts have warned that Atlanta’s quarterback change could end up working against Pittsburgh rather than for it.

“Steelers fans know this is terrible news. Backup QBs are the worst nightmare,” Tone Digs posted on X.

Tua Tagovailoa won’t be under center when the Atlanta Falcons kick off their season against the Steelers this Sunday. He picked up an oblique injury during a throwing drill at Thursday’s practice, went down briefly, and sat out the rest of the session. The team later listed him as a limited participant, and now he’s officially out for Week 1.

That puts Cooper Rush in the driver’s seat. He’d already been getting the bulk of the first-team reps once Tagovailoa’s injury became apparent, and head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Friday that Rush will start. Michael Penix Jr. isn’t an option either, since he’s still working his way back from the torn ACL that ended his season last year. He was only cleared 11 days before the preseason began.

Even though it looks like the Steelers caught a break by having to face a backup QB, it’s going to be a challenge. The entire defensive plan has to be reworked now, because Rush is right-handed, while Tagovailoa was left-handed. Pittsburgh’s Alex Highsmith acknowledged the difference when asked about the situation, and admitted that they had been learning the system with Tagovailoa in mind.

With mere hours to go for kickoff, the Steelers will have their work cut out for them.

History offers plenty of examples of backups stepping in and making the most of it. Tom Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in Week 2 of 2001 and never looked back, eventually winning Super Bowl XXXVI as a sixth-round pick nobody expected much from.

Then there’s Nick Foles, who replaced an injured Carson Wentz in 2017, led the Eagles through the playoffs, and walked away with Super Bowl MVP honors after beating the Patriots.

The Steelers themselves have precedent to be wary of losing to backup QBs. They lost to a Robert Griffin III-led Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 playoffs, who stepped in for an injured Lamar Jackson. Ryan Finley, who recorded only one NFL victory in his career, helped snap a long losing streak against the Steelers for the Cincinnati Bengals with his rushing skills.

Cooper Rush’s situation is an interesting one. He only signed with Atlanta on July 29, right as training camp opened, after the Falcons found themselves thin at quarterback. He’s played in 42 games over eight NFL seasons between Dallas and Baltimore, with a 9-5 record as a starter for the Cowboys, where he was coached by now-Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy.

Rush’s preseason numbers with Atlanta were solid, too: 30 of 48 for 254 yards, though he also threw two picks alongside his one touchdown.

“That’s the life of a backup quarterback…,” said Stefanski. “Cooper has been a backup. He’s been a starter. He knows how to prepare.”

Whether Rush can pull off something similar remains to be seen, but the Steelers have an edge with McCarthy’s familiarity with the quarterback’s prowess. He knows his tendencies well, how he reads defenses, and what he likes to do when things break down.

Running back Rico Dowdle, who also played with Rush, summed it up simply: “He’s going to take what the defense gives you.”

That kind of insider knowledge could end up shaping how Pittsburgh approaches this game, even on short notice.

Tua Tagovailoa’s return remains unclear and is week-to-week for now. This season is a crucial year for him, which marks his debut with the Falcons after having been released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this year. Tagovailoa struggled to reach his ceiling and did not generate much hype entering the 2026 season.