Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to make his return to a starting job this Sunday.
He will do so as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Originally, Tagovailoa was set to compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job in Atlanta this season; however, Penix Jr. was deemed to be not ready for NFL action after he suffered a late-season ACL tear in 2025.
Unfortunately, Tagovailoa now suffered an apparent injury which may put in doubt his availability for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Appears to Suffer Injury at Practice
ESPN’s Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi posted on X: “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.”
Regarding the news, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe posted on X: “Eye-opening update to watch for Falcons ahead of Week 1 battle vs. Steelers. Not clear if related yet but Tua had back issues that cost him practice time earlier in summer.
Michael Penix isn’t ready yet: Cooper Rush is backup and took reps after Tua ailment.”
Falcons on SI’s Darius Hayes wrote of Tagovailoa’s injury: “We’ll see if Tagovailoa appears on the report and, if he does, what participation designation the Falcons give him. That will offer a clearer picture of whether the team considers the incident something that could affect his practice workload moving forward.
Should Tagovailoa be in doubt for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cooper Rush would be asked to start. Rush was signed as a free agent the day before training camp opened. Undrafted rookie Jack Strand is expected to be the emergency third-quarterback, but even that is no in question.”
Tua Tagovailoa Injury History
Tagovailoa has a long list of injuries during his NFL career. After being named Miami’s Week 1 starter back in 2021, Tagovailoa missed time due to injuries in three of the next five seasons.
his injuries have mostly been related to his hip and his concussion issues, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback has had trouble staying on the field.
Aside from his declining quarterback play, Tagovailoa’s athleticism has also declined from his days at Alabama due to his injuries. Last season, Tagovailoa opened up with the media as he said, “I think one of the biggest changes and differences that I felt would have been some of the surgeries that l’ve had, that I can kind of feel some of the residuals within my ankles. And, you know, I was running a little different when I was at Alabama and, you know, it’s just not the same. And that, you know, I think that’s normal, given the surgeries.”
Whether Tagovailoa’s back issue causes him to miss time remains to be seen. However, it is yet another blow to the chances of the former Dolphins quarterback returning to his previous Pro Bowl form.
Ex-Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Dealt Concerning News at Falcons Practice