Tua Tagovailoa Reportedly 'Briefly Went to the Ground' with Apparent Discomfort at Falcons Practice

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to experience back discomfort during practice on Thursday.

Based on multiple reports, he was in visible distress at one point and reached for his back:

Tagovailoa had some minor back trouble early in training camp, though he suited up for two of Atlanta's three preseason games.

The 2023 Pro Bowler is set to start Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Falcons' quarterback battle became a foregone conclusion with Michael Penix Jr. still working his way back from a torn ACL.

For now, Cooper Rush is backing up Tagovailoa, with Jack Strand third on the unofficial depth chart. In the event Tua is ruled out, some fans will likely call for Strand to vault into the starting role.

Rush is a career backup who combined to go 25-of-39 for 251 yards and four interceptions his two starts with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025.

Strand is an undrafted rookie who competed at Minnesota State Moorhead, a Division II school. Needless to say, the NFL would be a massive step up, but a team in Atlanta's position may not have much to lose.

The Falcons are already treading water for a year at quarterback by leaning on Tagovailoa and Penix. Why not see if they hit the lottery with Strand?

Of course, this is all a moot point if Tagovailoa only had a minor scare Thursday and is deemed good to go in Week 1.