Tua Tagovailoa Not Part of Dolphins’ Game Plan vs. Jets, Mike McDaniel Says

The Dolphins will likely conclude the regular season without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup as the star quarterback continues to recover from a concussion, coach Mike McDaniel announced Monday.

McDaniel told reporters Tagovailoa is currently not a part of the team’s plans for Sunday’s road game against the Jets, and that backups Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson are being prepared to play. McDaniel also noted that “no timeline has been discussed” for Tagovailoa’s return.

In regards to where Tagovailoa is in his recovery, McDaniel said he has no idea what stage of the protocol the 24-year-old is in before reiterating that his long-term health remains the priority.

“All I know is I saw him today & he said he felt good. What does that mean?… We’re working through that & letting the medical professionals assess,” he said, per Dolphins beat reporter Josh Houtz. 

Tagovailoa’s health again came into question in recent weeks after he landed in concussion protocol for a second time this season following the Dolphins’ Week 16 loss to the Packers. Tagovailoa played the entire game against Green Bay but told the team the following day that he was experiencing concussion symptoms. 

After initially reviewing Tagovailoa’s first concussion in early October, the NFL and NFLPA launched another investigation into Miami’s handling of his latest injury on Dec. 28. Three days later, both parties announced the team did not violate the protocol and that Tagovailoa did not show symptoms during the game.

The NFL and NFLPA’s first investigation into Tagovailoa’s health later led the league to revamp its concussion protocol. Additionally, the probe led to the firing of the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant involved in the QB’s first evaluation.

While it remains unclear when Tagovailoa could return to action, the Dolphins will now have to attempt to secure a spot in the playoffs without their QB1 in the fold. A win over New York combined with a Patriots’ loss to the Bills would propel Miami into the seventh and final playoff spot.

In a Week 17 loss to New England, Miami elected to give Bridgewater the starting nod, though the veteran QB would exit late in the third quarter after suffering an injury to his throwing hand. Bridgewater finished the game 12-of-19 for 161 yards, one touchdown and an interception while Thompson went 12-of-21 for 104 yards, a TD and an INT in his place.