# 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.
- Title: Falcons lose their Week 1 starter 48 hours out · Newsweek
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: nfl, falcons, quarterbacks, injuries, week 1, lose, Week, starter, hours, Newsweek
- Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/sports/nfl/falcons-suddenly-lose-tua-tagovailoa-for-week-1-opener-vs-steelers-12433216
- Author: Rowan Fisher-Shotton
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nfl, falcons, quarterbacks, injuries, week 1
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.