All eyes were on Tua Tagovailoa prior to his ill-timed injury on Thursday.
The Saint Louis alum and ‘Ewa Beach native was named the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons prior to Sunday's Week 1 matchup against the Steelers. After six seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Tagovailoa was released and was eager for a fresh start with Atlanta.
But during Thursday's practice, Tagovailoa suffered a non-contact oblique injury and was ruled out on Friday. His future with the franchise, with projected starter Michael Penix Jr. working his way from injury, remains uncertain.
Heading into the 2026 season, NFL fans from Hawai‘i will still have dozens of players to keep track of throughout the season. The full list is below, followed by Hawai‘i affiliation:
Active roster
DeForest Buckner, defensive tackle, Indianapolis Colts (Punahou)
Ka‘imi Fairbairn, kicker, Houston Texans (Punahou)
Aloha Gilman, safety, Kansas City Chiefs (Kahuku)
Kapena Gushiken, safety, Indianapolis Colts (Kamehameha-Maui)
Nick Herbig, linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers (Saint Louis)
Andrei Iosivas, receiver, Cincinnati Bengals (Punahou)
Jonah Laulu, defensive lineman, Las Vegas Raiders (University of Hawai‘i)
Marcus Mariota, quarterback, Washington Commanders (Saint Louis)
Tetaitoa McMillan, wide receiver, Carolina Panthers (born and raised in Waimānalo)
Darius Muasau, linebacker, New England Patriots (Mililani and University of Hawai‘i)
Rigberto Sanchez, punter, Indianapolis Colts (University of Hawai‘i)
Jonah Savaiinaea, offensive lineman, Miami Dolphins (Saint Louis)
Isaac Seumalo, offensive lineman, Arizona Cardinals (born in Hawai‘i)
De’Zhaun Stribling, wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers (Kapolei) (Note: Stribling was carted off with an ankle injury in the team's season-opening win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday)
Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback, Atlanta Falcons (Saint Louis)
Jahlani Tavai, linebacker, Jacksonville Jaguars (University of Hawai‘i)
Roman Wilson, receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers (Saint Louis)
Practice squad
Kohl Levao, offensive lineman, New York Jets (University of Hawai‘i)
Kansei Matsuzawa, kicker, Las Vegas Raiders (University of Hawai‘i)
Uso Seumalo, defensive lineman, Seattle Seawhawks (Moloka‘i)
Injured reserve
Dillon Gabriel, quarterback, Cleveland Browns (Mililani)
Marist Liufau, linebacker, Dallas Cowboys (Punahou)
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
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