Tua Tagovailoa is out for Sunday at Pittsburgh

Tua Tagovailoa won't be starting in his return to Pittsburgh, after all.

Tagovailoa has been ruled out for Sunday's season opener at Pittsburgh, per multiple reports. He suffered an oblique injury during individual drills at practice on Thursday.

Veteran Cooper Rush will get the start against the Steelers.

Ordinarily, an opposing team welcomes the chance to face QB2. The Steelers, whose performance last December against Tua sparked his benching and eventual release, are possibly disappointed.

If Rush plays well enough to earn a second start in Week 2 vs. the Panthers, and if Michael Penix Jr. still isn't ready to go, what happens with Tua? There was already a strong possibility he'll be cut if/when benched. If Rush's performance allows him to jump a healthy Tua, the Falcons could move on.

And if Rush gets injured on Sunday, undrafted rookie Jack Strand will make his debut. Frankly, he could be the best current option on the depth chart, given the possibility that he has a ceiling that could be reached, with time and reps.

With Tua out, the Steelers have moved from 3.5-point favorites to 6-point favorites.