The Atlanta Falcons have scratched quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to an oblique strain, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Tagovailoa, who was named the starter just days ago, was limited in practice on Thursday and considered day-to-day. However, the injury will prevent him from playing in the season opener.
This marks a significant change for the Falcons, who were already without backup quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Penix, a third-year player out of Washington, has been dealing with a knee injury sustained last season that has hindered his preparation and availability. His ongoing recovery from that injury led new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski to name Tagovailoa the starter for Week 1.
With both Tagovailoa and Penix sidelined, third-string quarterback Cooper Rush is expected to take the starting role for Atlanta's season opener.
"I've got the blinders on, so I see Week 1 in front of me and after this one, then we'll start on the next one and those type of things," Stefanski told reporters when asked about the quarterback situation beyond Week 1. "So, I don't think it's fair to really go past this week on anything related to our football team."
Tagovailoa was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this season. The Dolphins originally selected him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.