Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to resume practicing next week, with the hopes of being able to play next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Tagovailoa remains in the concussion protocol and is subject to the NFL’s return-to-play provisions, which will play a crucial step in determining whether he can return for next Sunday’s game.
Despite his most recent concussion, Tagovailoa plans to attempt to return to playing football, and it no longer seems to be a question.
As scary Tagovailoa’s latest injury was, with his arms falling into the fencing syndrome, it is consistent with how he has acted after each of the other concussions that he suffered.
Tagovailoa has been spotted visiting with neurologists in Pittsburgh, as he has done in the past, and doctors seemingly have not told him anything strong enough that would change his mind about wanting to continue playing the sport that has been a part of his life since his childhood.
Not only has Tagovailoa consulted with some of the same doctors he visited after previous head injuries, he also has visited with new ones, trying to gather as much information as possible in making a clear determination about his future. But as one source told ESPN earlier this month: “He’s 100 percent playing.”
Tagovailoa also has insisted that he has felt fine. After suffering a concussion in the Dolphins’ Week 2 Thursday night game against the Bills, he was symptom free shortly thereafter. Rather than go to a local hospital, Tagovailoa hung around the Dolphins’ locker room, greeted his teammates, and demonstrated few signs that he had experienced another traumatic episode involving his brain.
The Athletic first reported Saturday that Tagovailoa was expected to resume practicing next week.
Tagovailoa, 26, has a history of concussions since entering the NFL in 2020. He was diagnosed with two concussions during the 2022 season and suffered a third hit to the head that led to the NFL altering its policy on how concussions are reported.
After he was diagnosed with a concussion on Dec. 26, 2022, the Dolphins effectively shut him down for the remainder of the season; he progressed through the league’s protocol once the season ended.
Tagovailoa will miss his fourth game Sunday when Miami goes to Indianapolis to play the Colts. But Tagovailoa will be eligible to come off injured reserve next week and return Oct. 27 for Miami’s home game against the Cardinals.
Miami has started two quarterbacks in Tagovailoa’s absence: Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley; the latter was signed from the Ravens’ practice squad and started his first game two weeks later after an injury to Thompson.
The Dolphins plan to continue starting Huntley until Tagovailoa’s return. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the team’s Week 6 bye allowed Huntley to “really jump into” the finer points of the Dolphins’ complex offense.
While the Dolphins will closely and carefully monitor him, there is a growing sense that Tagovailoa will be behind center as early as next week.
Tagovailoa already has been taking part in team meetings, standing on the sideline for every game he has missed and taking part in all team activities, except the practices and games.
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.