Tua Tagovailoa Set to Return for Dolphins in Week 7 vs. Steelers

Saturday morning brought some good news to the Dolphins, as the team’s top two quarterbacks—starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater—both reportedly cleared concussion protocol, according to Alain Poupart of All Dolphins. 

After the controversy surrounding his quick return from injury against the Bills, and the concussion he suffered just days later against the Bengals, the team appears to be taking things more cautiously with Tagovailoa this go-around. Even with the update to his status on Saturday, he will not play against the Vikings on Sunday. Skylar Thompson, the team’s QB3, will get the start with Bridgewater set to back him up, given the short week of rest.

Expectations are that Tagovailoa will be ready to start in Week 7 against the Steelers, if all continues to go well. 

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tagovailoa met with specialists in Detroit and Pittsburgh, on top of the normal NFL concussion protocol before today’s announcement. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that he received “four outside opinions, in addition to team doctors” before being cleared to return to football.

Tagovailoa suffered an injury in Week 3 against the Bills, struggling to walk off the field after going down. He eventually finished the game, later blaming the apparent ataxia symptoms on a back injury. 

Days later, on Thursday Night Football against the Bengals, he suffered a frightening head injury and was taken off the field on a stretcher. 

His quick return to play from the Bills injury led to an outcry about how the league handles head injuries. The league and players association have agreed to changes to the protocol, adding the term “ataxia,” which indicates “abnormality of balance and stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue,” to the list of “mandatory no-go” symptoms. A player who shows signs of ataxia will no longer be allowed to return to a game.

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