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The Atlanta Falcons should hit the panic button, with Tua Tagovailoa almost certainly not playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. On Monday, the Falcons named Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback for Week 1. But during Thursday’s practice, he had to leave the field due to a back injury, casting doubt on his participation in the opening game on Monday. Cooper Rush took all the reps as QB1 after Tagovailoa suffered a setback with a back injury. According to NFL.com, his oblique muscle pain flared up again, which led the team to list him as ‘limited’ in the practice report. After this incident, fans flooded X. “This gotta be God telling him to hang it up atp,” an X user wrote. This gotta be God telling him to hang it up atp — SLAYTON WILD (@tharealslay10) September 10, 2026 While another said, “The CTE is taking over his body like venom.” “100% faking it so TJ Watt doesn’t fist him so hard he turns him into a ventriloquist dummy,” one wrote. “He became important at his job and literally couldn’t handle it,” one user reacted. “Tua already faking injuries,” a fan wrote. “Fake injury scared of the pressure,” one wrote. Here’s video of Tua Tagovailoa going down with back discomfort at today’s practice, which resulted in Cooper Rush taking all the QB1 reps. (📽️ @ReggieChatman)pic.twitter.com/qx1mlsTbFz https://t.co/BBq8vkvO7Y — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 10, 2026 Cooper Rush May Backup Tua Tagovailoa in Week 1 Backup QB Rush practiced fully with the first team. This is a major sign that head coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t want to waste any time getting Rush ready for Week 1 action. Notably, Tagovailoa couldn’t play in the first week of training camp due to a lower back spasm. The Falcons signed Tagovailoa this offseason under a set plan. The team’s young star, Michael Penix Jr., has been recovering from ACL surgery since last November, and Tagovailoa was supposed to hold the starting role until Penix returns. Stefanski made it clear that Penix won’t play against the Steelers in Week 1. Even though Penix says he’s very close to being fully fit, the team doesn’t want to take any risks right now. More NFL News From Gridiron Heroics - CFB Analyst Spills the Beans on Why Dabo Swinney’s Time at Clemson May Be Up - ‘Move On’ ‘Disgusting’ — Dave Portnoy Unleashes Wrath on MAC for Appealing Michigan’s Controversial Win - ‘Something That Concerns Me’ — CFB Analyst Isn’t Sold on Notre Dame As Potential National Champs After Wisconsin Matchup - ‘They’ll Be Just Fine’ — Stephen A. Smith Drops Blunt Statement on SEC Potentially Expelling Lane Kiffin’s LSU From Conference