FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was listed as a limited participant with an oblique injury Thursday after he went to the ground during the part of practice open to reporters. On Sunday, he is scheduled to make his first regular-season start for Atlanta against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
During the open period, Tagovailoa bent over and grabbed his right side after throwing a pass. He dropped to the ground for a few seconds before getting up and trying to shake it off. Whether he returned to the session was unclear.
Reggie Chatman Jr. of 11Alive caught the moment on video. Tagovailoa stood off to the side for the rest of the period reporters were allowed to watch, Chatman posted. He did not throw another pass before the Falcons closed practice to outside eyes.
The Falcons signed Cooper Rush on July 29 as training camp opened. After Thursday’s practice, Rush said he took all of the first-team reps, ProFootballTalk reported.
“I’m not sure what happened, but it’s Thursday practice,” Rush said, according to Field Level Media. “Practice has to go on and so you’re up next and that was a good day. It was good to get out there and get some real reps with that group and we’ll see what happens.”
Michael Penix Jr. Inactive As Cooper Rush Backs Up Tua Tagovailoa
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa would open the season as the starter and that Rush would back him up. Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive against Pittsburgh. Stefanski said the evaluation was “all-encompassing” and took in Tagovailoa’s work going back to April, according to the Falcons’ official website.
“I know preseason games get a lot of attention, and they should,” Stefanski said. “But I’ve gotten to see (Tagovailoa) work really, really hard throughout this entire process of learning a new system, learning his teammates. So much of quarterback play comes down to knowing your teammates.”
The Falcons drafted Penix eighth overall in 2024. He started nine games last season before he tore the ACL in his left knee in November. He was cleared for 11-on-11 work on Aug. 22 and did not play in a preseason game. On Thursday, he was a full participant. Penix considers himself “really close.”
“I want to be stronger,” Penix said Monday. “I want to be able to go out there and give the team 100%, and if I don’t feel like I can do that, I don’t want to. That’s not fair for this team. That’s not fair for this organization. I want to make sure whenever I am out there, I’m 100%. There’s no doubt in my mind that I trust my knee.”
Rush went 9-5 as a starter across seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy coached him in Dallas from 2020 through 2024. Sunday is McCarthy’s first game in charge of Pittsburgh.
The Baltimore Ravens signed Rush in March 2025. He made two starts for Baltimore last season and went 25-of-39 for 251 yards with no touchdowns and 4 interceptions in those games. The Ravens released him March 12.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Last Miami Start Came At Pittsburgh
Tagovailoa’s last start for the Miami Dolphins came at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 15, a 28-15 Steelers win on Monday Night Football. He went 22-of-28 for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Through three quarters, he had 65 passing yards and 1 interception, NFL.com reported.
Two days later, Miami benched Tagovailoa for the final three games of the season. He finished 2025 with 2,660 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 starts.
In March, the Dolphins released him and took on a record $99.2 million in dead money, spread over two seasons. Atlanta signed him to a one-year, minimum deal.
Tagovailoa dealt with back issues early in training camp, and Stefanski said July 29 that he was sidelined by a “flare-up.” He started Atlanta’s first and final preseason games. Against Miami in the finale, he went 7-of-8 for 95 yards across three drives. He led an eight-play, 60-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession and lost a fumble on the next one. Atlanta won 17-12. Across the exhibition schedule, he had 2 fumbled snaps, including one out of the shotgun.
In 2023, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards. He made the Pro Bowl that season. A year later, he led the league by completing 72.9% of his passes. For Tagovailoa, ball security is a key to getting back to that form.
“There’s a lot of things I think I could have done better, turning the ball over, could have played better, my decision making,” Tagovailoa said after Wednesday’s practice. “From prior years in terms of last year, just wasn’t good.”
Tagovailoa named Pittsburgh’s front seven as what stands out about the Steelers. They sacked him 4 times in the December game. Stefanski is scheduled to speak with reporters Friday, the same day the Falcons issue game designations on their final injury report. Kickoff at Acrisure Stadium is set for noon CT Sunday on FOX.
