The Atlanta Falcons will turn to backup quarterback Cooper Rush to start against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week after Tua Tagovailoa dealt with a back injury during practice this week. It remains to be seen what the Falcons will do with Tagovailoa going forward, and the team made a curious decision with the quarterback in the preseason. There has been chatter that Atlanta could release Tagovailoa as soon as Michael Penix Jr. is ready to start.
Penix has been medically cleared to play, but he has a mental hurdle to clear before he's ready to take over as starter. Per Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, the Falcons hope that Rush being named the starter against the Steelers will push Penix to overcome that hurdle sooner rather than later. As for Tagovailoa, Atlanta has more confidence in the quarterback's abilities after seeing him practice the past two weeks.
More News: Exclusive: Breakout NFL Executives Who Could Become Future General Managers More News: 4 QBs Generating Serious Trade Buzz Weeks Before NFL Regular Season Starts Tagovailoa, who was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this year, struggled in training camp and during the preseason. Jones is reporting that Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees decided to tailor the offense to Tagovailoa's strengths after the preseason, which helped the quarterback perform better the last two weeks. It's curious why the Falcons went with a more "vanilla" style of play during training camp and the preseason, making Tagovailoa look more like a backup quarterback than a former first-round pick.
Tagovailoa has a unique style, and might have had a better chance to earn the starting job had been allowed to play to his skillset earlier in the summer. There is a possibility that Tagovailoa will not start for the Falcons, though he could start in Week 2 when Atlanta hosts the Carolina Panthers if Penix isn't ready to return. Putting up tape with an offense designed for his strengths could be crucial for Tagovailoa to have another chance to start in the league.
Better late than never for Stefanski ad Rees to figure that out. For more on the Falcons and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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