Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is sidelined with what the team considers a “flare-up” of an undisclosed injury, according to coach Kevin Stefanski.
The Falcons did not reveal the nature of Tagovailoa’s injury Wednesday, but sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the veteran quarterback is dealing with a tight back.
With Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. both out, sources told Schefter that the Falcons are signing Cooper Rush to strengthen their suddenly injury-ravaged quarterback room.
Earlier Wednesday, Atlanta released veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian with a non-football injury designation, leaving undrafted rookie free agent Jack Strand as the only Falcons quarterback fully cleared for practice.
Tagovailoa will not practice Wednesday, but Stefanski said he believes the former Miami Dolphins star will return “sooner rather than later.” Sources told Schefter that Tagovailoa’s back injury is not considered serious, and he expected to return next week.
Penix, who was Atlanta’s Week 1 starter last season, is still recovering from right ACL surgery in November. He practiced in the spring, doing individual drills and 7-on-7 work, but has yet to be cleared for 11-on-11 team sessions.
Stefanski said Wednesday he is not sure when Penix might be ready. The coaching staff will lean on the team’s medical personnel to make that decision, Stefanski said.
Atlanta had expected Siemian to be the third-string quarterback this season, but now Strand -- out of Division II Minnesota State Moorhead -- is the Falcons’ only healthy quarterback on Day 1 of training camp.
Stefanski joked that former Falcons star quarterback Matt Ryan, now the team’s president of football, will not be getting any reps under center Wednesday despite the shortage.
“This is the NFL,” Stefanski said. “You can’t predict what’s coming.”
Rush, 32, spent his first eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before appearing in four games last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
