1 day Ago By Geoffrey C. Arnold
The Miami Dolphins placed star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday. The Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on the list after the quarterback was diagnosed with a concussion during the team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday. The concussion was Tagovailoa’s third diagnosed concussion in since the 2022 season.
Tagovailoa must miss the next four games before he is eligible to return, meaning he could return for the Dolphins’ Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals. However, he must pass a series of tests and assessments as required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field. Backup Skylar Thompson is expected to start when the Dolphins play at Seattle on Sunday.
Tagovailoa, 26, suffered the injury after he scrambled up the middle for a first down and instead of sliding feet first, he barreled in head first late in the fourth quarter. His helmet hit the forearm of Bills safety Damar Hamlin and the quarterback fell and his head hit the turf. He immediately went into a fencing response with his arms and fingers.
The number of concussions sustained by Tagovailoa in such as short period of time prompted a wave of speculation about his future and whether he should retire. However, Tagovailoa reportedly has “no plans to retire” and is already seeing concussion specialists with an eye on returning to the field when the specialists say he is healthy and ready, according to the report. Tagovailoa isn’t allowed to practice or play while on injured reserve until Week 7 at the earliest.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel said the quarterback has been at the team’s practice facility this week and is in “good spirits.” McDaniel said Tagovailoa could travel with the team for their game at Seattle and a decision will be made on Friday. “I would prefer on Friday, if he did or didn’t travel, that to be based upon the feelings and motivations that he had on Friday,” McDaniel told reporters on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t broach that, not because I don’t care, but because...
I mean, we have a grinder of a day. Wednesdays, there’s a lot of stuff going on. Guys are enthused to work, and that’s where it’s very interesting, but that’s all he wants to talk about right now is literally different sorts of formations, progressions, and things that need to get done today based upon the opponent we’re playing.
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