The Atlanta Falcons have announced Tua Tagovailoa is out in Atlanta’s week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Falcons now have ruled out Tua Tagovailoa for Sunday’s opening game in Pittsburgh,” Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
“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,” The Athletic’s Josh Kendall shared on his official X account.
The Falcons signed veteran quarterback Cooper Rush because of this same reason regarding Michael Penix Jr.’s health and Tua Tagovailoa’s. The Atlanta Falcons parted ways with NFL journeyman Trevor Siemian after signing him in March.
Cooper Rush Looking Like the Starter For Week 1
The 32-year-old Cooper Rush spent his first eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Rush recorded 303 yards and 4 interceptions with a 26.3 QBR. As you can see, he was terrible.
“Tagovailoa had some minor back trouble early in training camp, though he suited up for two of Atlanta’s three preseason games,” Joseph Zucker wrote in a Bleacher Report article. “The 2023 Pro Bowler was set to start Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Falcons’ quarterback battle became a foregone conclusion with Michael Penix Jr. still working his way back from a torn ACL.
“Cooper Rush said he took all the reps with the 1s today. #Falcons” Marc Raimondi wrote on his official X account on Thursday.
“Rush is a career backup who combined to go 25-of-39 for 251 yards and four interceptions his two starts with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. Strand is an undrafted rookie who competed at Minnesota State Moorhead, a Division II school. Needless to say, the NFL would be a massive step up, but a team in Atlanta’s position may not have much to lose.”
Falcons Quarterback Room Looking Disasterous
Earlier in the offseason, many thought the Falcons would not have their quarterback room figured out in this season and going into the next.
According to anothrt ESPN article, we should not be surprised if the Falcons are shopping for another quarterback next year.
“Throughout the offseason, the sense we got was that the Falcons were leaning toward starting Tua Tagovailoa over Penix, even if both are healthy,” Dan Graziano said in the ESPN article. “The problem was that Tagovailoa struggled, and now Atlanta isn’t sure he’s the guy for this season, let alone the future.
“It’s also possible Tagovailoa will play better than he did in the preseason. But those are only possibilities at this point, and neither seems strong enough to ward off the likelihood that Atlanta’s 2027 quarterback isn’t on its 2026 roster.”
Zero people thought Cooper Rush would be on an NFL roster after his performance with the Ravens last year, let alone a starter for the Atlanta Falcons.
Michael Penix Jr. has not been healthy all offseason and now Tua Tagovailoa, who was anticipated to be the starter, is out against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many anticipated seeing either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. in Week 1. As it seems, we will see neither.
Falcons Announce Week 1 Status for QB Tua Tagovailoa