The Miami Dolphins are set to play their second game without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Monday night, who will miss at least four total contests due to his placement on injured reserve. Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, but despite all of the rampant speculation, he is expected back on the field soon.
Tagovailoa has been symptom-free, per ESPN. He’s been meeting with neurologists, but Adam Schefter believes no one has told him anything that would dissuade him from wanting to keep playing. Tagovailoa is eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 8, when Miami hosts the Arizona Cardinals.
Tagovailoa suffered his injury when he collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin while rushing for a first down. He then showed the clear “fencing response,” which he also exhibited during a scary event in 2022, where he was taken off the field on a stretcher during a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The frightening scene in Week 2 caused many to call for Tagovailoa to retire from football, but he apparently has no plans to do so — even after what is officially his third NFL concussion. In July, Miami signed Tagovailoa to a four-year, $212.4 million extension with $167 million in guarantees following a career year in 2023. He led the league with 4,624 yards passing to go along with 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
