Tagovailoa touched his back and sat down briefly during individual drills Thursday, then wasn't seen throwing again during the portion of practice open to media, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.
Raimondi cautions that only a small portion of practice is open to the media, but it's also possible that Tagovailoa was shut down for the remainder of practice after potentially hurting his back. The 28-year-old quarterback was named the starter for Sunday's season opener earlier in the week, as Michael Penix (knee) determined that he isn't ready for game action yet. Tagovailoa's official practice participation will be worth monitoring Thursday and Friday. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are Atlanta's alternatives under center.