MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Dolphins players were thrilled when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to the practice field on Wednesday, perhaps none more so than wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Tagovailoa practiced for the first time since suffering a concussion on Sept. 12. The following week, he was placed on injured reserve and missed the Dolphins’ next four games.

The NFL’s leading passer from last season is eligible to come off IR this week, and Hill said Tagovailoa’s return brought a familiar feeling back to the practice field.

“He looked great. It felt like old times,” Hill said. “Me and him hit some deep throws today and that made me feel good today. I missed this and I missed him. I told him that I had to invite him and his wife to dinner because I missed him so much.” S— was so beautiful that I almost cried today, as if I had him alone in the lineup he dictated the plays as if he was running the offense, as if I had simply heard his voice.

“I know it sounds crazy, but he’s a big part of this team.”

Miami is 1-3 in the four games Tagovailoa has missed. During that time, the Dolphins’ offense ranked last in scoring, 31st in expected offensive points and 29th in yards per game.

Hill’s production has declined without Tagovailoa. He is on pace for 833 receiving yards, which would be his lowest total since his rookie season.

After hitting his quarterback on several deep passes during Wednesday’s practice, Hill’s excitement spread to the locker room. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said Tagovailoa completed almost every pass he threw to Hill and when they were on the same page, “that usually leads to big plays.”

“It was beautiful. It was so beautiful,” Hill said. “I bet if you ask every guy in this locker room, just say, ‘Hey, did Tua connect with Tyreek today?’ And if they say, “Yes,” the next question should be, “What was his reaction right after?” I just had a lot of pain on my face because it just felt so good, like y’all don’t know what it’s like makes me.

Tagovailoa was injured after making contact at the end of a contest against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Both Tagovailoa and coach Mike McDaniel agreed that the quarterback has a responsibility to protect himself on the field going forward.

Hill joked that he and his teammates tell Tagovailoa to slip “all the time” and that Dolphins fans should cheer him on when he does. Running back Raheem Mostert echoed Hill’s sentiments, adding that Tagovailoa is ultimately the one in control of his actions on the field.

“Oh yeah, we’ve talked to him since his injury,” Mostert said. “I told him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke and laugh, but seriously, he knows he needs to protect himself a little better and only he can control these things until we’re completely done with the face, but one thing I would always say, is, “Hey, you can make a horse water, but you can’t make him drink, right?”

“We will take Tua to this water, but we cannot force him to drink. He understands this and will do his best in the future.”

Tagovailoa was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. On Thursday, he was upgraded to a full participant and can now meet with an independent neurological consultant assigned to the team and receive final clearance to play.

The No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft said he has been symptom-free since the day after his concussion, the third diagnosed injury in his NFL career.