Tua Tagovailoa, at long last, is back.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback has cleared concussion protocol and is on track to start Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The news came after the Dolphins (2-4) ramped up Tagovailoa’s participation in his second day back in six weeks. Tagovailoa participated fully Thursday, according to the Dolphins’ Thursday injury report.
What Happened to Tua Tagovailoa?
Tagovailoa suffered his fourth diagnosed concussion on Sept. 12 when colliding with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in a Week 2 game.
Due to Tua’s long history of head injuries, the Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve — even though he told reporters this week that he’s been symptom-free since Sept. 13.
“It’s pretty simple when the medical experts are advising you to do one thing,” McDaniel said when asked why Miami put Tua on IR. “The whole issue was that it needed time to rest for that injury.”
That time, thankfully for the Dolphins, is up.
When Will Tagovailoa Return From His Injury?
While Tagovaila has a Questionable injury designation entering Sunday, that is more procedural than a red flag. He practiced in full on Friday but needs an injury status as he is still officially in the concussion protocol.
The Dolphins’ 2024 season will get a lifeline Sunday when Tagovailoa is in Miami’s huddle for the first time since the Bills’ loss. They had lost three out of four games without him and enter Week 8 as the AFC’s 10th seed.
Throwback: Highlights from Tua Tagovailoa’s breakthrough second NFL start, leading the Dolphins to a win over the Arizona Cardinals as a rookie in 2020.
Tua was 20 of 28 for 248 yards and two touchdowns.
(CBS game footage; edited by izallgood37/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/YdFJrH7a8K
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) October 25, 2024
When Tagovailoa returned to practice this week, he was in Phase 4 of the NFL’s 5-phase concussion protocol — Club-Based Non-Contact Training Drills.
For a quarterback, there’s little functional difference during practice between that and what Tua did on Wednesday. Quarterbacks are rarely subject to contact.
But he still needed clearance from both a club physician and the independent neurological consultant for full-contact activity in order to play Sunday.
That came late in the week. The Dolphins did safely simulate contact so Tagovailoa could check the necessary box. Then, after one last clearance from the independent neurologist and team doctors, he formally cleared the protocol.
Tagovailoa met with some of the country’s top experts over the last six weeks. None of them recommended he retire from the game. His decision to resume his career is a decision he made with his doctors and family.
As for the impact Tagovailoa’s return will have on a Dolphins offense that ranks last in points per game (11.7)?
“You just see the type of guy that he is, he never shies away from humility,” said Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert. “He’s always at his best when those things come about. He takes ownership in his craft and in his leadership, he takes pride in that. So to get him back and to get a guy that we trust who’s a key part of this offense is very critical in this organization.”
Miami Dolphins’ QB Depth Chart
The Dolphins are doubly thankful to have Tagovailoa, considering their backup quarterback situation has been — and continues to be — a mess.
Tyler Huntley has started the last three games but will not play due to a shoulder injury.
That leaves three options for QB2:
Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, and recently added C.J. Beathard, who spent several seasons with McDaniel in San Francisco.
Thompson and Boyle seem the most likely due to their familiarity with McDaniel’s intricate offense.