HOUSTON — Unless the Terron Armstead injury scared Mike McDaniel into reconsidering, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will almost certainly appear in at least one of the team’s final two preseason games.
Which one? TBD.
Tagovailoa appeared in preseason games 2 and 3 last summer, logging a total of 30 snaps.
But it’s unclear whether McDaniel feels Tua and the first-team offense needs the work enough to put them at risk — particularly since it’s highly unlikely Armstead will be on the field to protect him for either of those games.
Will Tua Tagovailoa Play vs. Houston Texans?
McDaniel has been consistently cagey when asked to reveal his plan for starters this preseason, but he did shed a bit of new light on the subject Thursday.
When asked if he would be comfortable going into the regular season without Tagovailoa playing a single exhibition snap, McDaniel replied:
“I would probably hesitate to say that. All joking aside, I would expect to see him in the preseason. However, you know me. I’m a wild card. I do think game reps are valuable depending on where you’re at in your journey for preseason setting up the regular season. So I would expect him to play. How much and when, will be determined after today for this next preseason game and will probably be around the same time before Jacksonville as well.”
Mike McDaniel on Tua’s preseason availability pic.twitter.com/1sdNUbBkLn
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 17, 2023
In a follow-up question, PFN asked McDaniel if Armstead’s participation in preseason games would factor into McDaniel’s decision whether or not to play Tua.
His response?
“I think if I didn’t feel like there were capable NFL players behind Terron, then that may factor. Everything factors into it. However, I do think our given situation, I don’t even know who the third, fourth tackle are right now, and that’s a good thing because the score’s not settled. However, I do know that play will be up to the standard that I’ve been used to over my NFL career of what you have to have as an NFL-caliber player at that position.”
Tagovailoa has not taken a live rep since Christmas 2022, when he suffered his second diagnosed concussion of the year.
So he could use the work. He wants the work. And he presumably is lobbying for the work, even if those arguments fall on deaf ears.
“I mean, I wanted to work last week, too,” Tua said Wednesday. “So it’s really up to Mike. No matter which way you spin it for him, [his response is] ‘I got you. But no. Makes sense. I understand what you’re saying to me. But no.’”