The Atlanta Falcons' situation under centre may have gone from bad to worse.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to suffer an oblique injury at practice on Thursday and was listed as a limited participant in the team's official injury report.
According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Tagovailoa threw a pass during an individual drill and immediately grabbed at his back. He did not make another throw during practice.
Tagovailoa had dealt with a back injury at the start of training camp.
Should Tagovailoa be sidelined for the Falcons' Week 1 showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, backup Cooper Rush is in line to start.
After practice, Rush told reporters that Thursday was the first time since signing with Atlanta on July 29 that he had taken reps with the first team.
Tagovailoa, 28, joined Atlanta in the off-season as a free agent on a one-year, $1.3 million deal after being released by the Miami Dolphins. He struggled mightily with both injuries and on-field production last season, throwing for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 games.
Through two pre-season games with the Falcons, the former Alabama standout threw for 117 yards and completed 10 of 13 passes. He was named the Falcons' starter on Monday after head coach Kevin Stefanski decided that Michael Penix Jr., who is recovering from ACL surgery last November, is not yet ready for live-game action.
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