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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left practice Thursday with an oblique injury.
Tagovailoa bent over in obvious discomfort after throwing a pass during a portion of practice open to media and grabbed his right side. He dropped to the ground for a few seconds before getting up and trying to shake off the injury.
It's unclear if he returned to practice. The Falcons listed him as a limited participant.
Tagovailoa's first game with the Falcons is at Pittsburgh on Sunday. It's the same spot where he made the last start of his rocky final season with Miami.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday that Tagovailoa will open the season as the starter and Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive. Cooper Rush will be the backup.
Penix did not play in a preseason game as he continues his recovery from a torn ligament in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.
Tagovailoa set a career high with 15 interceptions before he was benched for the final three games last season.
He had mixed results this preseason with Atlanta. He had two fumbled snaps in exhibition games, including one from the shotgun formation. He said ball security will be a key to returning to his form in 2023, when he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, and 2024, when he led the league by completing 72.9% of his passes.
Brown out?
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Thursday that wide receiver A.J. Brown will undergo more testing following a right ankle injury in the second half of New England's season-opening 13-10 loss at Seattle.
"I don't know if he'll be available going forward here for the next week, but we'll see," Vrabel said. "Once we get the report, we'll figure out what the treatment plan is."
New England's next game is its home opener on Sept. 20 against Pittsburgh.
Brown left Wednesday night's game early in the third quarter following an incomplete pass from Drake Maye. He was falling to the turf as he tried to make the catch, and Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett's knee made contact with Brown's ankle, pushing it against the ground.
Brown was initially announced as questionable to return before the Patriots ruled him out at the start of the fourth quarter. Brown had three catches for 26 yards before the injury.
Status in doubt
SEATTLE -- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's hip injury appears to be muscle-related, and his status for next week's game at Arizona is as yet undetermined, coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday.
Darnold was injured on Seattle's first series of Wednesday night's season-opening game against the New England Patriots. Darnold was sacked by New England's Dre'Mont Jones and shortly thereafter limped off the field. He did not return.
Backup Drew Lock replaced him and went 16 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Seahawks rallied for a 13-10 victory.
Following the game, Macdonald said Darnold's hip was not fractured, but said he would undergo additional tests.
Coach Mike Macdonald said that Darnold has a muscle injury near his hip and that the team would have a better idea of his status for the game against Arizona on Sept. 20 when the team returns to practice next week.
"It's been positive news," Macdonald said. "Right now we're just working through the extent of the injury and put a plan in place to get back rocking and rolling."
Darnold, 29, did not miss a game last season as he led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title. He threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season as Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games.
No contest
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground. Jacobs must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge.
Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim in this case, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim.