Falcons Sign Cooper Rush as Tua Sits With Back Flare-Up
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined with what coach Kevin Stefanski called a "flare-up" of an undisclosed injury; sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter the veteran quarterback is dealing with a tight back.
- Tagovailoa won't practice Wednesday, but sources told Schefter the back injury isn't serious and he's expected back next week — Stefanski said he believes the QB will return "sooner rather than later."
- The Falcons are signing Cooper Rush, a 32-year-old who spent his first eight seasons with Dallas before appearing in four games with Baltimore last season, to shore up a suddenly injury-ravaged QB room.
- Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta's Week 1 starter last season, is still recovering from right ACL surgery in November and has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 team work; Stefanski said he's unsure when the QB will be ready.
- Atlanta released veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian with a non-football injury designation, leaving undrafted rookie Jack Strand (Division II Minnesota State Moorhead) as the only Falcons QB fully cleared for practice on Day 1 of training camp.
- Stefanski joked that team president of football Matt Ryan won't take reps under center despite the shortage, adding: "This is the NFL. You can't predict what's coming."
Why it matters: The Falcons opened training camp with exactly one fully cleared quarterback — an undrafted rookie out of Division II Minnesota State Moorhead — after losing two NFL starters to injury and cutting their veteran third-stringer, forcing a same-day pickup of 32-year-old journeyman Cooper Rush just to field a functional practice squad.
