On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons announced that Tua Tagovailoa would be the team's starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Michael Penix Jr., who'd been in a QB competition with Tagovailoa, had only just returned to full practices and is still working his way back from a torn ACL — so the decision wasn't entirely surprising, even if there's an argument that Tagovailoa should've never been considered for the job to begin with after how he performed in the preseason. But his status for Sunday's opener took a quick turn on Friday, as Tagovailoa missed the open portion of practice with an oblique injury suffered during Thursday's session.
With just 48 hours to go before the Steelers game, that put his availability in real doubt. Just a few short hours later, it became official, with NFL insider Ian Rapoport reporting that the Falcons have officially ruled Tagovailoa out for the Steelers game. More news: Vikings’ Latest QB Move Reveals Where JJ McCarthy Really Stands As disappointing as Penix looked last season before his injury — his first as the unquestioned starter after backing up Kirk Cousins — Tagovailoa looked even worse this preseason.
Across two appearances, he went just 10 of 13 for 117 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. It could have been worse, I suppose, but it's not exactly the kind of performance that inspires confidence heading into a more competitive regular-season environment. It's especially concerning because he was outplayed by the team's other two quarterbacks in both games — veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
More news: Rams DC Chris Shula Comes Under Fire After Ugly Loss to 49ers More news: Rams Defender Had to Take Pay Cut Because of Aaron Donald Penix has already been ruled out for Week 1, so now that Tagovailoa can't go, the job has fallen to Rush, with Strand taking over as QB2. Oblique strains can heal in one to three weeks if minor, but take considerably longer if more serious. But regardless of how long he's out, even one missed start is a brutal blow for Tagovailoa — fans were already skeptical of him as the starter and don't need much of an excuse to turn to one of Atlanta's other options.
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