With All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson headlining, the Falcons envisioned a “Rush Hour” of sorts to open the season on Sunday at Pittsburgh.
No one in Atlanta expected the leader on the marquee in the buildup to Week 1 to be another Rush.
But longtime backup Cooper Rush jumped into the starting role on Friday after two days of working with the first-team offense. He entered with Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) limited after an injury in practice Thursday. Michael Penix Jr. is not in the mix because of his pre-planned recovery schedule returning from another knee surgery.
“Disappointed for Tua,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday after extending practice to allow Rush extra work with the starters.
What looks like a fire drill externally is old hat for Stefanski. He had 13 different starting quarterbacks as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Rush has only been with the Falcons since July 29 when Tagovailoa delayed his start to training camp due to a back injury.
Rush isn’t a stranger to the Pittsburgh Steelers or coach Mike McCarthy. Rush is 9-7 in 16 career starts and all nine wins came while playing for McCarthy with the Dallas Cowboys. He spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens and went 0-2 filling in for Lamar Jackson.
Stefanski also has a connection to Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers, one common denominator between retread head coaches anxious to begin the 2026 season with a victory.
McCarthy, a native of Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood, coached Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers for 13 seasons. Stefanski faced Rodgers twice as coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2025 and is plenty familiar with his work as a longtime offensive assistant with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Steelers are doubling down on the Rodgers-McCarthy bond as the quarterback enters his 22nd — and likely final — NFL season.
“We’ve got a good relationship, quarterback to play-caller,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of trust going both ways, and I’m excited about what it’s going feel like to hear his voice — very Pittsburghese voice — in my helmet again.”
Rodgers said he suggested that Pittsburgh give McCarthy a call after Mike Tomlin stepped down as coach after 19 seasons, with his final campaign producing a 10-7 record and an AFC North title.
The Steelers aimed to upgrade their attack by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to complement lead option DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh also added former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who gained 130 or more yards in three games last season. Dowdle previously played for McCarthy with the Cowboys.
Defensively, the Steelers are approaching a self-imposed deadline to extend cornerback Joey Porter Jr.’s contract before the regular season begins. The team listed Porter Jr. as questionable due to a back injury.
Robinson will again anchor the ground game after rushing for a career-high 1,478 yards last season, along with seven touchdowns. Robinson expressed excitement about how the offense developed during the preseason.
“Now it’s just, we have a product, we’ve been doing it,” he said. “It’s been looking great in practice, but now it’s time to go put it to show and go have fun doing it.”
Teams that can’t stop Robinson might be in for a long day.
Falcons No. 1 receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts have 37 combined TD catches in their careers and are set for featured roles in Stefanski’s offense.
Albeit with some younger personnel, the defense has playmakers and some unproven talent. Rookies Avieon Terrell (second round) and Kendal Daniels (fourth round) project to start at nickel cornerback and inside linebacker, respectively. Sixth-rounder Harold Perkins Jr. has a role in the linebacker rotation.
Stefanski, two-time NFL Coach of the Year in six seasons with the Browns, is confident in his first-year players’ capacity for growth.
“I think it’s certainly a misnomer to think that a rookie’s got it all figured out in Week 1,” he said. “I think all of those guys will be better in Week 4 than Week 1, and Week 8 than Week 4 and so on.”
In addition to Atlanta’s top two quarterbacks, offensive lineman Cameron Williams (ankle) and cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles) were ruled out. Edge rusher Za’Darius Smith (shoulder) practiced Friday but is listed as questionable.
–Field Level Media
