The Falcons’ quarterback situation took a concerning turn on Thursday when Tua Tagovailoa appeared to have trouble during practice.
According to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, Tagovailoa “appeared to suffer discomfort” while going through individual throwing drills and “briefly went to the ground.” Kendall also pointed out that Tagovailoa dealt with a back issue during training camp.
“Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa appeared to suffer discomfort during individual throwing drills Thursday and briefly went to the ground. Tagovailoa missed the first week of training camp due to lower back spasms,” Kendall wrote.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi added more detail from the portion of practice open to the media. Raimondi said Tagovailoa seemed to be protecting his back and did not throw another pass after the moment in question.
“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 of practice,” Raimondi wrote.
The timing is especially awkward for Atlanta, which will also be without Michael Penix Jr. for Week 1 as he continues to build back from a torn ACL.
The Falcons are set to release their second injury report of the week later in the day, which should provide a clearer picture of where Tagovailoa stands.
Tagovailoa was named the Falcons’ starter earlier in the week, though that came more by default than anything else. He didn’t show much progress after a very troubled 2025, and he may have lost a head-to-head battle with Penix if there had been one.
Behind Tagovailoa, Atlanta’s quarterback room includes Cooper Rush, who is currently the top backup, and rookie Jack Strand. If Tagovailoa can’t play, Rush would start and Strand would move into the No. 2 role.
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