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    • Miami Dolphins quarterback concussion update
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    Miami Dolphins quarterback concussion update

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    The Miami Dolphins could soon see the return of their starting quarterback. When will Tua Tagovailoa be back?

    Coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that he expects Tagovailoa to play again this season after the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft suffered a concussion in Week 2. It was at least the third concussion Tua has suffered in the last three years, and his injury history led many to speculate that he might retire rather than play again.

    News of his expected return is welcome for the Dolphins and their fans. Miami is off to a 2-3 start, and their vaunted offense featuring Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle has faltered with Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley at quarterback.

    But when will Tua return? It’s not a given that he’ll come back as soon as he’s eligible. Here’s what we know about Tua’s injury status, his concussion history and when he might be back on the football field:

    What happened to Tua Tagovailoa?

    On a four-down play late in the third quarter on Thursday night, September 12, Tua Tagovailoa fought his way up the middle for a first down. He lunged at Bills safety Damar Hamlin, his head striking the defender’s chest and then hitting the ground.

    Tua’s arms froze in the air in what neurologists call a “fencing response,” a sign of head trauma. He was able to leave the field and did not return to the game. He was later diagnosed with a concussion, his third official concussion in the last three seasons.

    Tua was placed on injured reserve on September 17, which automatically ruled him out of the Dolphins’ next four games.

    Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa is expected to return this season, although he wasn’t sure when.

    “I expect to see him play football in 2024,” McDaniel said. “But as to where exactly that is, we’ll let the process continue as we still have time before he can entertain anything.”

    Tagovailoa has spent a lot of time visiting specialists around the country following his recent concussion. Although he was healthy for all of 2023, he suffered at least two concussions in 2022. McDaniel said the news “continues to be positive” as Tagovailoa used the Dolphins’ release week last week to seek further medical advice.

    “He’s still looking for information this week,” McDaniel said.

    Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion story

    September 12th was Tua’s third recorded concussion, although there is speculation he had a fourth. In 2022, during the Dolphins’ Week 3 game against the Bills, the back of Tua’s head hit the ground hard after a hit from Matt Milano. The quarterback stumbled while getting up and was briefly eliminated from the game. McDaniel said Tua was evaluated by an independent neurologist and was removed from the NFL’s concussion protocol the next day. The injury was initially reported as a head injury, but was later changed to a back injury.

    Four days after that game, Tua suffered an even more serious injury on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the second quarter, the quarterback was thrown hard onto the turf and lay there for several seconds with his fingers seemingly frozen in the air. He missed the next two weeks after the Bengals game.

    Ten weeks after his return, Tua suffered another head injury on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers. He stopped the game briefly before returning. After the game, he was diagnosed with another concussion. Tua would miss the final two games of the regular season as well as the Dolphins’ first playoff game since the 2016 season.

    When can Tua play again?

    Tagovailoa’s move to injured reserve after Week 2 meant he would miss at least the Dolphins’ next four games. The Dolphins’ game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Week 7 is the final game of that stretch (Miami had a bye last week).

    That means Tagovailoa could return from IR on October 27th in a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. He is eligible to practice again on October 23rd.

    When will Tua Tagovailoa return?

    Although he will be eligible to play again at the end of the month, there is no telling when he will actually play again.

    McDaniel said his immediate concern with Tagovailoa was not whether he would get his starting quarterback back on the field this season, but rather about Tagovailoa as a person.

    “It’s exciting that I think he’s going to play football this year,” McDaniel said. “I never bothered with the question of whether he would do it or not, just because I learned through circumstances that that was the wrong question. The right questions are 100 percent directed at people.”

    • September 8: vs. Jacksonville (W 20-17)
    • September 12: vs. Buffalo (L 31-10)
    • September 22nd: in Seattle (L 24-3)
    • September 30: vs. Tennessee (L 31-12)
    • October 6: in New England, 1 p.m
    • October 13th: Bye
    • October 20: in Indianapolis, 1 p.m
    • Oct. 27: vs. Arizona, 1 p.m
    • November 3: in Buffalo, 1 p.m
    • November 11: at LA Rams, 8:15 p.m
    • November 17: vs. Las Vegas, 1 p.m
    • Nov. 24: vs. New England, 1 p.m
    • November 28: in Green Bay, 8:20 p.m
    • December 8th: at NY Jets, 1 p.m
    • December 15: in Houston, 1 p.m
    • December 22: vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m
    • December 29: in Cleveland, 8:20 p.m
    • TBA: at NY Jets
    • Record: 2-3

    Contributor: Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post

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    Idris Bevan
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