Hope persists in the 305.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday he expects quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will play again at some point this season after suffering a scary concussion in Week 2.
“As far as timelines go, I know he’s not playing this week … I do expect to see him playing football in 2024, but where that is exactly, we’ll let the process continue,” McDaniel said.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel walks off the field with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following the latter’s scary head injury in September 2024. AP
McDaniel told reporters he expects Tagovailoa will resume playing in 2024. APTagovailoa has been sidelined since Sept. 12, when he dove into the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin in Buffalo’s eventual 31-10 win.
The star Dolphins quarterback was able to walk off the field under his own power but headed straight for Miami’s locker room and was diagnosed with a concussion.
It was Tagovailoa’s fourth known concussion.
Tua Tagovailoa (1) collided with the Bills’ Damar Hamlin during the Week 2 matchup. APMcDaniel stressed the following day that “the best thing I can do is not even assess this from a football standpoint … I have to put his health as [sic] primary [concern].”
Tagovailoa was later placed on injured reserve. The earliest he can return is in Week 8.
That said, McDaniel noted the quarterback — who agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins in July — is “still seeking information and ‘the process continues,'” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Tua Tagovailoa looks to pass on Sept. 12, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The incident was the quarterback’s fourth known concussion. APIn Tagovailoa’s absence, the Dolphins initially moved forward with backup quarterback Skylar Thompson, who exited a Week 3 matchup against the Seahawks with an injury.
The recently signed Tyler Huntley was then given the nod.
The Dolphins (2-3) will visit the Colts (3-3) in Week 7 following the bye week.
As Miami prepares to face Indianapolis, McDaniel remains adamant that he won’t rush Tagovailoa back into action.
“I never went down that rabbit hole of if he would or wouldn’t [return to play], just because I’ve learned through circumstance how that’s the wrong question to be asking,” the head coach said Monday. “The right questions are completely 100% toward the human being and the player as a result.”
