Tua Tagovailoa hit the practice field for individual drills this Thursday, a major step as he battles a back injury for the Atlanta Falcons. But don’t let that fool you, because the quarterback situation in Atlanta is already a complete mess thanks to this early setback. Just a day after head coach Kevin Stefanski gave the lowdown on Tua’s status, the Falcons are practically operating on fumes with their top two QBs sidelined.
Atlanta’s Quarterback Room Is A Disaster Right Now
Think things were looking good for the QB battle? Think again. With Tua only doing individual work for his back, it means No. 3 quarterback Trevor Siemian is out there with the first-string offense. Why? Because Michael Penix Jr. isn’t even touching team drills either! Penix is still recovering from ACL surgery and told reporters Wednesday that he’s looking at another *four weeks* before he’s even fully cleared. Seriously, four weeks? That’s forever in training camp time. It’s so bad that ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Falcons are signing Cooper Rush for some extra depth. You know it’s getting wild when you’re scrambling for more arms this early.
Tua’s History Is Already Haunting Atlanta
Let’s be real, Tua’s injury history is a massive storyline for him, always has been. Concussions have been a huge part of his NFL journey. He’s missed at least three games in every single season except for 2023. That 2023 season, though? It was a career year for him, putting up 4,624 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while leading the Miami Dolphins to the playoffs. The Dolphins made the postseason twice during his time there, but he only actually played in that 2023 edition. Over six seasons with Miami, he threw for 18,166 yards, 120 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions, stacking up a 44-32 record as a starter. But after “a pair of losing seasons,” the Dolphins hit the reset button, firing head coach Mike McDaniel and cutting vets like Tua and Tyreek Hill. The Falcons scooped him up in the offseason to push Penix, who totally struggled in 2025 with just 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions, a 60.1 completion percentage, and a 3-6 record as the primary starter. Despite some turnover issues, Tua’s accuracy has always been a strength. But man, that injury history.
What This Means for the Falcons’ Preseason
Look, it’s super early in training camp, so nobody’s hitting the panic button just yet. But you can’t ignore Tua’s past. This whole injury situation is something Falcons fans absolutely need to keep an eye on. With Penix sidelined for potentially a month, and Tua just easing back in, the competition for QB1 is off to a seriously bumpy start. The Falcons are gearing up for their preseason opener on August 14 against the Denver Broncos. How these guys progress over the next couple of weeks is going to tell us everything about who’s really ready to lead the charge into the regular season. This battle is just getting started, and it’s already a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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