Tua Tagovailoa is ‘trending in the right direction,’ headed for backup role
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a full participant in practice Tuesday for the first time since suffering an oblique injury Sept. 10, and coach Kevin Stefanski said there’s a chance he’ll be the team’s backup for Thursday night’s bout with the Packers.
“We’ll see,” Stefanski said Wednesday. “Let’s get through the next couple days, but he’s trending in the right direction.”
The Falcons announced Tagovailoa was their Week 1 starting quarterback on Sept. 7, six days before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Three days later, he fell to the grass at practice, clutching his right oblique after a warmup throw.
Tagovailoa didn’t practice the day after, and Stefanski tabbed Cooper Rush as the team’s starter later that afternoon. Tagovailoa didn’t participate in practice leading into the team’s Week 2 contest against the Carolina Panthers and, like he did in Week 1, watched the Falcons’ game from the sidelines in a sweatshirt.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa handled the frustrations of the timing of his injury and subsequent process in the right manner.
“Yeah, awesome teammate,” Stefanski said. “He’s working very, very hard to get himself back healthy and he’s doing really well there. But just ultra supportive, great person to have around the building.”
After drives during the Falcons’ losses to the Steelers and Panthers, Tagovailoa often sat down on a bench next to the team’s quarterbacks and watched tape on a tablet, offering any insight to Rush and backup Jack Strand.
Those moments, Stefanski said, underscore the Falcons’ culture.
“That’s what we believe in. That’s what they believe in,” Stefanski said. “We’re all in this one together, trying to help each other. Obviously, there’s only one guy out there on Sundays. I get that part. But very, very proud of that group and how they help each other.”
During the media viewing period at practice Tuesday, Tagovailoa joined Week 3 starter Michael Penix Jr. in throwing routes on air to the starting receivers while Rush and Strand worked with the practice squad players on the opposite end of the field.
That implies Tagovailoa has a real chance to be active Thursday night as Penix’s backup when the Falcons (0-2) face the Packers (1-1) at 8:15 p.m. at Lambeau Field.
No matter, the Falcons expect the 28-year-old signal-caller to be a positive contributor in whatever capacity his health, and opportunity, provides.