Tagovailoa sheds light on injury: ‘It wasn’t something I could control’

FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s oblique injury first flared up the day before he went down at practice, he told reporters Tuesday in his first news conference since the practice situation Sept. 10.

“It wasn’t something I could control, something that I could avoid ended up happening,” Tagovailoa said. “So, we tried to see what it would feel like the next day, and that’s what ended up happening the next day. It just sort of made it worse.”

During a warm-up throw in practice on the Thursday leading into the Falcons’ Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tagovailoa grabbed at his right oblique, missed the remainder of the session and didn’t practice again until Sept. 22.

When he initially felt pain Wednesday, he thought his back merely tightened up and he hoped it wouldn’t cause further issues.

“I just thought it wasn’t something as serious,” Tagovailoa said. “But that’s what it was, and it’s unfortunate, but it is what it is, you know?”

Tagovailoa, who suffered a back injury in late July and wasn’t cleared for full practice participation until the second week of training camp, said his oblique ailment sustained in September was unrelated to his previous injury.

The 28-year-old Tagovailoa acknowledged “you can’t necessarily exclude that” when discussing whether his back injury played a part, but he confirmed the original injury didn’t flare up or bother him during training camp.

“None whatsoever after that,” Tagovailoa said of back pain after his initial injury.

Tagovailoa said he’s “much better” physically, but he’s still progressing back toward 100%. He was active and served as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup during the team’s 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 24 and appears poised to hold serve as the No. 2 quarterback moving forward.

From a timing perspective, Tagovailoa’s oblique injury came at a crushing moment. He signed with the Falcons this spring fresh off a difficult end to a six-year tenure as the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback with hopes of competing for — and winning — the Falcons’ quarterback gig.

And if only for Week 1, he’d accomplished his mission. The Falcons named him their starter for the season-opener while Penix remained inactive, rehabbing his knee injury suffered last November, which gave Tagovailoa the chance to stake his claim for the job.

The announcement came Monday. The initial injury happened Wednesday. The follow-up — and more severe — injury occurred Thursday. He was ruled out Friday.

It happened fast, but Tagovailoa has come to terms with his situation.

“I can’t foresee what’s ever going to happen in the future, and anyone that’s a human being can’t necessarily foresee what’s going to happen and things like that,” Tagovailoa said. “So for me, this is what ended up happening, and this is what I can control.

“Like, if you listen to all the interviews that I’ve had prior with you guys, it was all about what can I control, and this is what I can control, you know?”

During games, Tagovailoa stands on the sidelines and watches while the offense operates. When drives end, he sits on the bench, watches film on a tablet and offers additional insight to Penix — previously Cooper Rush and Jack Strand for Weeks 1 and 2 — about what he sees from the opposing defense.

Tagovailoa said his relationship with Penix, Rush and Strand “has been really good,” and he’s embraced the mindset of working to serve.

“The way I’m doing it is if the roles were flipped, I’d want it to be done the same,” Tagovailoa said. “And so being the starting guy, knowing there’s only 32 people that do this job and are starters, you’ve got to do everything you can to make sure you’re not the reason he’s failing.

“So that’s where I look at my job, being right now for Mike and whatever he needs in terms of off the field film, extra throws, questions. Whatever it is, whatever that looks like, that’s what my job description entails right now.”

Transparent from the beginning he valued team success, Tagovailoa said he wants Penix to do as well as possible because, ultimately, if Penix is at his best, it only helps the Falcons.

Tagovailoa enjoyed watching Penix flourish against the Packers. The 26-year-old signal caller went 18-for-25 passing for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 17 of his final 20 attempts.

“I don’t think people know not just the physical things that you go through in terms of rehab — of course, everyone says the mental, but just kind of getting to know him a little too throughout this time, his faith is unbelievable as well,” Tagovailoa said. “And so I think when you mesh both of those together with the mentality and the spirituality, it could take a toll because spiritually walking is not easy.

“That’s a hard thing to do because we’re all sinners. And so very proud of him. And then for him to come back and then do what he did against a really good team, a really good defense, you can’t help but be happy.”