It was mere days ago that Tua Tagovailoa was named the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
Now, with the Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers just on the horizon, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback’s future with the Falcons could be entirely in jeopardy. His start in Atlanta has been nothing short of tumultuous, and now he’s been ruled out for the first game of the season with an oblique injury.
Tagovailoa received plenty of warranted hype ahead of the preseason, given the way he was projected as a far better passer than Michael Penix Jr. and a better fit for the offense overall. But it didn’t take long before Tagovailoa faltered with some unimpressive moments in practices and a preseason performance that fell short of expectations.
Here’s what to know about the situation at hand with the Alabama product, and the purely unorthodox situation the Falcons face at quarterback right now.
Could Tua Tagovailoa Be On His Way Out Of Atlanta?
Well, this would not be surprising at this point, between the quality of work he’s put together so far with the Falcons, his prior injury history, and the fact he’s once again dealing with injury issues.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is among the most prominent analysts who gave the opinion that the writing may be on the wall for Tagovailoa right now, also noting he was informed that there was more than a chance of that.
“There is, we’re told, a “strong possibility” Tua will be released if/when he’s replaced,” Florio wrote. “The chance of that happening will increase if he eventually yields not to Penix but to veteran Cooper Rush, who has 16 NFL starts under his belt.”
What a whirlwind, to say the least…
The Falcons Face An Uphill Battle At Quarterback
At this point, it is anyone’s guess who will be the Falcons’ starting quarterback… and whether it will be the same player even remotely consistently throughout the season. We’ve gone from a 2025 season in which Kirk Cousins looked like a superior quarterback to Penix for the better part of it all over again, to the expectation that Tagovailoa may be miles better than Penix for Atlanta.
And, from there, we’ve now reached a point where not only does it appear Tagovailoa may fail to find a future in Atlanta, but also that UDFA rookie quarterback Jack Strand out of MSU-Moorehead may ultimately end up being the best option the Falcons have.
While it has been announced that Rush will start the Falcons’ season opener, that does not mean Strand won’t take the field. To what capacity, exactly, remains to be seen. On top of that, just because Rush has the starting nod for Week 1, it does not mean that’s not a title he could quickly lose.
He could be overtaken any time by Strand, who impressed more than any Falcons quarterback did in the preseason, going 24-for-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball for 29 yards and two additional scores.
It will be interesting to see how things shake out as the Falcons prepare to take the field against the Steelers at Heinz Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 13.
Is The Writing On The Wall For Tua Tagovailoa? Falcons QB Situation Takes Wild Turn