It’s been a challenging training camp for former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and it doesn’t appear to be getting any less difficult.
Following a sub-par preseason performance, Tagovailoa was named the Week 1 starter for the Atlanta Falcons after signing with the franchise in the offseason.
Early on in camp, Tagovailoa was battling a nagging back injury which caused him to miss time. However, it appears that he is facing a similar injury following practice on Thursday, as Tagovailoa went down on the field grabbing his back.
#WATCH: I happened to catch the moment #Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa went down briefly during the open portion of #Falcons practice
He stood off to the side for the rest of the period we were able to watch. https://t.co/VyzfRrzond pic.twitter.com/sIO2CtmOkF
— Reggie Chatman Jr. (@ReggieChatman) September 10, 2026
Tagovailoa would not throw again during practice and his first career start in Atlanta is now in jeopardy as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that he is now listed as day-to-day. Veteran quarterback Cooper Rush is listed as the team’s backup should Tagovailoa be unable to go.
Even with the injury, Tagovailoa’s duration as the team’s starter could still be slim.
Michael Penix, the team’s starting quarterback the previous two seasons, is still recovering from a knee injury and was not able to participate in on field action during the preseason. His recovery is now expected to continue into the regular season, but once healthy, Penix is considered to still be in competition for the full-time job once again.
This makes it all the more imperative that Tagovailoa takes full advantage of the early portion of the season which begins with a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
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