Falcons' Tua Tagovailoa struggles in preseason debut against Broncos
Tua Tagovailoa completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards in his first preseason game for Atlanta, after which he was replaced by Cooper Rush.
Atlanta quarterback Tua Tagovailoa started the preseason matchup with the Denver Broncos but was taken out after two drives in the first quarter. He completed three of five attempts for 22 yards and did not record a touchdown or interception before Cooper Rush entered the game, after which the Falcons fell behind 7-0.
The Falcons failed to sustain a drive on their opening possession when Tagovailoa mishandled a snap on second down, resulting in a four-yard loss and a subsequent punt after a short third-down gain. On the next series, Tagovailoa connected with tight end Kyle Pitts for an 11-yard pass that secured a first down, but the drive stalled thereafter.
Denver deployed its starting defense, which led the league with 68 sacks last season, applying significant pressure on the rookie quarterback. Tagovailoa, who signed a one-year contract with Atlanta on March 9, remains in competition with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting role. Penix did not play, still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season.