The Miami Dolphins will be without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for at least four games after he was placed on the team’s injured reserve Tuesday.
With a return for Tagovailoa not possible until a Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27, there’s not much rush for the quarterback to advance through the NFL’s concussion protocol with haste.
“I think the great thing about IR is, for a month’s time, there’s no timelines,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. “If you’ve set a timeline based upon the information you have today, how much of whatever goes on is fulfilling the prophecy of that timeline? And is that the right thing?
“With competitors, sometimes you can do more harm than good. Regardless, not worrying about anything as it relates to timelines is very empowering for him as a human being to recover from injury.”
Tagovailoa, 26, suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 season, but never landed on the Dolphins’ injured reserve. His only career stint on IR was early in the 2021 season when he suffered fractured ribs. At the time, a player on IR was only forced to miss three games.
The fifth-year quarterback hasn’t made any public comments since suffering his latest injury in a Thursday night loss against the Buffalo Bills. While many have suggested retirement for Tagovailoa, he reportedly “has no plans” on leaving the game.
In two games played in 2024, Tagovailoa has 483 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Dolphins are set to turn to Skylar Thompson to start at quarterback in Tagovailoa’s absence.
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