Falcons QB Tagovailoa injured in practice before opener

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury during the media-open portion of Thursday's practice, raising uncertainty about his availability for Sunday's season opener at Pittsburgh. Tagovailoa bent over in discomfort after throwing a pass, grabbed at his right side and back, and briefly dropped to the ground before getting up. Video posted by a reporter on the scene showed him standing off to the side for the remainder of the open practice period, and it is unclear whether he returned to action afterward. The Falcons added Tagovailoa to their injury report, listing him as a limited participant with an oblique injury. Observers at practice described him favoring his back, and he had previously missed the first week of training camp with back spasms. The exact nature and severity of the injury remains unclear, with the team citing an oblique issue while reporters on the scene described back discomfort. Backup Cooper Rush told reporters he took all of the first-team reps in Thursday's session, confirming that Tagovailoa did not participate in team portions after the incident.