From Newsweek · Rowan Fisher-Shotton · · 1m 20s
Falcons lose their Week 1 starter 48 hours out
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa the starter on Monday. By Friday he was ruled out and the third-stringer had the job.
In brief
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa the starter on Monday. By Friday he was ruled out and the third-stringer had the job. Atlanta opens against Pittsburgh with Cooper Rush under center and an undrafted rookie behind him, and Tagovailoa's grip on the job is looser than ever. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Monday brought a decision
Atlanta named Tua Tagovailoa its Week 1 starter against Pittsburgh, ending the competition with Michael Penix Jr.
Penix was never ready
Penix had only just returned to full practice while still working back from a torn ACL, so the call made sense on timing alone.
Friday changed everything
Tagovailoa missed the open portion of practice with an oblique injury from Thursday's session, then was officially ruled out by Ian Rapoport's report.
The preseason tape was rough
Across two appearances he went 10 of 13 for 117 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions. Safe, short, and nothing to build confidence on.
“It's not exactly the kind of performance that inspires confidence heading into a more competitive regular-season environment.”
Outplayed by both backups
Veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand both looked better than Tagovailoa in each preseason game.
Rush gets the opener
With Penix already out, Rush starts against the Steelers and Strand moves to QB2. An oblique strain can take one to three weeks, or longer.
“Even one missed start is a brutal blow for Tagovailoa.”
What it means
Atlanta opens against Pittsburgh with Cooper Rush under center and an undrafted rookie behind him, and Tagovailoa's grip on the job is looser than ever.
