Tua's oblique injury puts Falcons' opener vs. Steelers in doubt — SkimNews
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- Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during Thursday's practice in Flowery Branch and was listed as a limited participant on Atlanta's official injury report; NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he is considered day-to-day ahead of Sunday's opener against Pittsburgh.
- Cooper Rush took all first-team reps during the team portion of practice, telling reporters it was the first time since arriving in Atlanta that he'd gotten significant work with the starting offense and that he hadn't been told whether he'd start Sunday.
- Rush has started 16 games across eight NFL seasons and posted a 9-7 record in those starts, per the team's reporting, framing him as a serviceable if unproven insurance plan.
- Michael Penix Jr., recovering from left ACL surgery last November, told coach Kevin Stefanski he didn't feel ready for live game action and only returned to full practice two weeks ago, leaving him unlikely to leapfrog Rush on the depth chart this week.
- The Falcons signed Rush on July 29 — the day training camp opened — partly because Tagovailoa arrived at camp with a tight back and missed the first week or so of practices, a pattern of back-related setbacks that predates Thursday's oblique issue.
- Tagovailoa was released by the Dolphins in the offseason, with Miami absorbing a record $99.2 million in dead cap before Atlanta signed him to a one-year, $1.3 million contract; the source notes he has a long injury history, including documented concussion issues.
- During the media viewing window, Tagovailoa threw one pass, grabbed at his back, sat down on the grass, then got up and jogged off — and did not throw another pass before the period ended.
Why it matters: A day-to-day tag the day before a season opener leaves Atlanta's quarterback room, built around a former Dolphin on a bargain contract, suddenly dependent on a veteran backup with a .563 career winning percentage as a starter — and with Penix still not cleared from ACL rehab, the Falcons have no fully healthy fallback if Tua can't go.
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