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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury.
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Tagovailoa bent over in obvious discomfort after throwing a pass during a portion of practice open to media and grabbed his right side. He dropped to the ground for a few seconds before getting up and trying to shake off the injury.
It’s unclear if he returned to practice. The Falcons listed him as a limited participant.
Tagovailoa’s first game with the Falcons is at Pittsburgh on Sunday. It’s the same spot where he made the last start of his rocky final season with Miami.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa will open the season as the starter and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive. Cooper Rush will be the backup.
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Penix did not play in a preseason game as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.
Tagovailoa set a career high with 15 interceptions before he was benched for the final three games last season.
He had mixed results this preseason with Atlanta. He had two fumbled snaps in exhibition games, including one from the shotgun formation. He said ball security will be a key to returning to his form in 2023, when he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, and 2024, when he led the league by completing 72.9% of his passes.
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