The Atlanta Falcons decided to go into the 2026 season with four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and somehow not a single one of them seemed like a reliable option.
That situation might have gotten worse on Thursday.
Just a few days before the Falcons' opener against the Steelers, Week 1 starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to suffer an injury during the media portion of practice. According to reporters at the Falcons' facility, Tagovailoa showed discomfort with his back and sat on the grass in pain during individual drills.
The open portion of practice is limited, but reporters did not see Tagovailoa throw again after that injury scare.
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
With Michael Penix Jr. out for Week 1 as he recovers from ACL surgery, the Falcons would turn to Cooper Rush if Tagovailoa is unable to go on Sunday. Preseason star Jack Strand would be the Falcons' QB2 behind Rush.
We'll have to see what Kevin Stefanski says about Tagovailoa, but this wasn't what Falcons fans needed so close to the opener.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Tua Tagovailoa injury update: What happened to the Falcons' Week 1 quarterback?
