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Falcons QB Tua Suffers Oblique Injury; Rush Takes QB1 Reps
Confirmed
In Short: Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during practice, potentially leaving Cooper Rush as the Week 1 starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during an individual throwing portion of Thursday's practice, according to reports. The injury forced Tagovailoa to sit out team periods and limited his participation in the first four practices of training camp. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush took over first-team reps, a move that could see him start the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tagovailoa, who was named the starter by default due to Michael Penix Jr.'s absence, has struggled with a back injury since the start of training camp. Rush, who has started 16 games in his eight-year NFL career, took all first-team snaps during the two-minute drill. Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom noted that Rush's communication was 'dialed' during practice.
Rush's performance in the first-team drills was seen as a positive sign, with veteran backup Cooper Rush taking over the starting quarterback role. 'Not sure what happened (to Tagovailoa),' Rush said after practice, expressing uncertainty about the injury. The Falcons are considering Tagovailoa 'day-to-day' after the injury, but if he is unable to play, Rush is likely to start the season opener.
Tagovailoa's injury adds to the quarterback conundrum for the Atlanta Falcons, with the team considering their backup options. Rush, who has started 16 games in the NFL, is well-prepared to take over if needed. The Falcons are hopeful that Tagovailoa will be able to play, but the uncertainty surrounding his availability has raised concerns about the team's readiness for the season opener.
What's confirmed
- “Not sure what happened (to Tagovailoa),” Rush said after practice.
What's still developing
- Rush is positioned to start if Tagovailoa cannot play because Penix is expected to be inactive while completing his return from ACL surgery.
- A Rush start would lower the passing-game ceiling for Drake London and Kyle Pitts, although Bijan Robinson ’s elite workload projection should remain largely intact.
- He didn’t seem to throw again after, but media only gets to watch a small portion of practice.
- Jacobs remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and cannot practice or play until the league changes his status.
- He said he’d never experienced it before, and his slow acclimation back to full practice participation was done largely for “longevity,” he said.
- He didn’t throw again in warmups after his injury.
- Nabers practiced fully Thursday but declined to confirm that he will play Sunday night against Dallas.
- But Tagovailoa’s inconsistent practice and preseason play worried the Falcons about whether that plan was sufficient to begin the regular season.