MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will return to practice this week after missing the team’s past four games, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.
Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve after he was diagnosed with a concussion in Week 2, the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career. In his absence this season, the Dolphins lost three of their four games and are two and a half games behind the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills with a 2-4 record.
McDaniel said medical experts have deemed it safe for Tagovailoa to return; barring any setbacks, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are aiming for him to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Tagovailoa spent the past month resting and meeting with neurologists in order to determine the viability of resuming to play.
Sources told ESPN that he hasn’t displayed concussion symptoms in weeks, and Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said Tagovailoa felt well enough to attend a Disney on Ice event with him, tight end Jonnu Smith and their families the weekend he was diagnosed with a concussion.
McDaniel reaffirmed Monday that the decision to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve was based on medical experts’ recommendation. He said in September that the decision to place him on injured reserve removed the temptation for Tagovailoa to try to return as soon as possible, rather than allowing himself to heal.
Tagovailoa was injured when he initiated contact at the end of a scramble during Miami’s loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. McDaniel said Tagovailoa will return to the field with an understanding of his responsibility to protect himself in similar situations in the future.
Tyler Huntley has started the past three games for the Dolphins but left Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with an injury to his right shoulder. McDaniel said it’s currently unclear who will be Tagovailoa’s backup should he clear concussion protocol in time to play Sunday.
Miami’s offense, which led the league in yards last season, has struggled without its starting quarterback. The Dolphins are averaging a league-worst 11.67 points per game and rank 23rd in passing yards per game.
Tagovailoa missed five games in 2022, including Miami’s playoff loss to the Bills, and sustained a third blow to the head that ultimately led to the NFL altering its policy on how concussions are reported.
The NFL’s leader in passing yards last season didn’t miss a game in 2023 and signed a four-year, $212.1 million contract this offseason.