Tua Tagovailoa absent from open portion of Falcons practice Friday
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Tua Tagovailoa is unlikely to start for the Falcons in Week 1 due to an oblique injury sustained during Thursday's practice.
- Tagovailoa was absent from Friday's open practice session, leading Cooper Rush to take all first-team reps in preparation for the Steelers game.
- Cooper Rush, who joined the Falcons early in training camp, is currently the leading candidate to start at quarterback given Tagovailoa's injury and Michael Penix's ongoing recovery.
- Michael Penix has returned to practice but remains sidelined for Week 1 as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, with no clear timetable for his return to game action.
- If Tagovailoa does not play this weekend, his opportunity to start for Atlanta may diminish significantly, potentially pushing his debut beyond Week 1.
