Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is being designated to return from injured reserve, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
However, Tagovailoa still needs to pass through concussion protocol, which would then allow him to play in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe noted that McDaniel said medical experts “deemed it safe” for Tagovailoa to return to play, as Sunday’s game will mark six weeks from when he suffered a concussion. McDaniel added that he will leave the decision on whether to wear a protective guardian cap on his helmet when he returns up to the signal-caller.
Tagovailoa addressed the situation with reporters on Monday:
Tua Tagovailoa said he has been symptom free since the day after his concussion. He says none of the talk about being suggesting he should retire has bothered him. He wants to play and will play. pic.twitter.com/bvx2pfoOp0
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 21, 2024
Q: How much risk are you taking in playing again?
Tua: “How much risk do we take when we get up in the morning to drive to work? …There’s risk in any and everything. And I’m willing to play the odds. That’s it.”
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 21, 2024
Tagovailoa has been out since Week 2 after suffering a concussion following a collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. The Dolphins then placed him on injured reserve, which meant that Tagovailoa would miss the next four games at minimum. It was the third diagnosed concussion of Tagovailoa’s career after he suffered two during the 2022 season.
However, good news emerged on Sunday, October 20 with Tagovailoa expected to resume practicing and sights set on playing the following week (Oct. 27) versus the Arizona Cardinals, per Schefter.
That would obviously be a welcome sight for the Dolphins, who have struggled mightily without Tagovailoa, falling to last in the NFL in scoring at 11.7 points per game.
Last season, the left-hander completed 69.3 percent of his passes for an NFL-high 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns (14 interceptions). He earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. Miami finished second in the NFL in scoring.
Miami has turned to a combination of Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle to take snaps in Tagovailoa’s absence in 2024.
The Dolphins have the skill-position players to be competitive, namely wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and running backs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert. But Miami needs its leader out there in order to be a competitive team.
