Tua Tagovailoa’s brief brush with injury appears to be over. The Falcons quarterback had been dealing with back troubles, but the issue appears to have subsided. At least, it managed to heal enough for him to get back on the practice field. Tagovailoa was spotted working in drills in a video clip posted on X.
The clip, posted by Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi, showed Tagovailoa on a practice field while wearing a helmet. The quarterback was in shorts and did not appear to have shoulder pads on.
Thanks for the submission!
•
“Tua Tagovailoa out at practice today with RB Bijan Robinson and Michael Penix Jr. Tagovailoa is back doing some individuals this morning,” he posted.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
Fans breathed a sigh of relief and backed the former Dolphins quarterback to beat out Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job.
“I’ll be the first one to say it, Tua is 100% going to be the week one starter. Penix Leg is damn near dead it’s over with fam,” one posted.
“Glad to see him back on the field. Hope he keeps healing well,” another added.
“Good to see Tua Tagovailoa back at training,” one replied.
Other fans took shots at the quarterback.
“O/U 8 games played,” one posted.
“Tua sucks,” another replied.
“I see a guy doing nothing but sure😂😂,” one joked.
Assuming his health holds, Tagovailoa and the Atlanta Falcons will face the Denver Broncos on Friday, Aug. 14. Either way, the Falcons are set to trot out a mix of quarterbacks if the team follows conventional patterns followed by every team in the league.
Falcons sign additional quarterback amid injury troubles with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.
With Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. facing injury troubles, the Atlanta Falcons decided to turn to the open market to fortify the position. The team settled on former Cowboys backup Cooper Rush.
Rush threw for 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2024, but struggled in his first season away from Dallas with no touchdowns and four interceptions as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2025.
The newest Falcons quarterback is set to compete with rookie quarterback Jack Strand for a spot on the roster. Strand played Division II football for four years before he made the jump to the NFL.
The winner of the competition could find action quickly if both Penix and Tagovailoa’s injury troubles follow the team into the season.
As such, all eyes are on the secondary quarterback competition taking place in the background. Depending on how things transpire, it could end up being a de facto starting quarterback competition.
Edited by Ian Van Roy