Tua Tagovailoa's Thursday Practice Scare Puts Falcons Fans on High Alert

Tua Tagovailoa grabbing his back and sitting on the grass during a Thursday practice is the exact kind of sentence that makes fantasy managers and oddsmakers break into a cold sweat.

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback briefly sat down during individual drills and didn't appear to throw again while reporters were allowed to watch.

"ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported Tua touched his back and sat down briefly, noting he didn't seem to throw again while media was present."

The catch here is the NFL's strict media access rules. Reporters only get to watch a tiny sliver of practice, meaning Tua could have been dealing with a season-altering back spasm, or he could have just needed to stretch out a weird cramp. We simply do not know what happened after the media was ushered away.

Still, any time a starting quarterback is sitting on the turf instead of throwing the football on a Thursday, it is a massive deal. Thursday is typically the most important practice day of the NFL week for installing the game plan and taking first-team reps.

If you are holding a ticket on the Falcons this weekend or relying on Tua in a fantasy lineup, you are now officially on high alert. A back issue for a quarterback affects everything from throwing mechanics to the ability to escape the pocket, and the betting markets will freeze until there is clarity.

The official injury report later today will be the real tell. If Tua is listed as a non-participant or even limited with a back designation, the panic button gets pressed for real. Until then, everyone in Atlanta is just holding their breath.