According to multiple reports, Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had some discomfort in his back during the media approved portion of Falcons practice and sat down briefly. According to reporter Marc Raimondi, Tagovailoa sat down for a period of time and did not throw any more during the media section.
The Falcons named Tagovailoa the starting quarterback just this week after battling it out in the preseason. The Falcons plan to have Tagovailoa start against the Steelers with Cooper Rush as the backup. Michael Penix Jr. has been medically cleared to play but won't dress on Sunday if Tagovailoa plays. If Tagovailoa can't go, it would be Rush going against his old head coach, Mike McCarthy. Rush played for the new Steelers head coach when
he was with the Dallas Cowboys.
During the open media portion of practice, #Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down on the grass briefly during individual drills Thursday. It was unclear exactly what had happened. He didn’t seem to throw again after, but media only gets to watch a small portion…
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 10, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers vs Falcons: QB Tua Tagovailoa injury update
