Wednesday Dolphins Notebook: Tua's Arm, Injury Report, and More

Tua Tagovailoa needed stitches to close the gash on his right arm

Tua Tagovailoa was in a joking mood Wednesday when it came to talking about the nasty gash he suffered during the Miami Dolphins' Black Friday game against the New York Jets.

Wearing a long-sleeved hoodie, Tua indicated he got stitches to fix the wound, which he sustained at the end of a scramble in the first quarter of the 34-13 victory at MetLife Stadium.

“It’s good," Tua said. "I was told by my wife. She didn’t see it but then she got text messages from people about what it looked like and they said it was disgusting while they were eating their (Thanksgiving) leftover meals. (laughter) Sorry, I couldn’t help you there.

"I didn’t know it happened until I came to the sideline and then Mike White sort of pointed it out. I guess it was just from the adrenaline. It was a nice chunk that came off. If someone can find that piece, that’s yours. (laughter)”

Tua said he didn't know how many stitches he got, though he said it looked like a complex procedure.

Asked whether he was going to get the full-length tattoo on his right arm retouched, Tua had another quip.

“I think it’ll be a great story for (son) Ace when he grows up," Tua said. "I saved three people in the ocean and I got bit by a shark… (laughter) 500-pound shark, I killed it.”

CHUBB CHECKING IN ON PHILLIPS

The most recent episode of "Hard Knocks" focused on Jaelan Phillips and his Achilles injury, but part of that storyline also involved the close relationship between Phillips and fellow outside linebacker Bradley Chubb.

The two have become close since Chubb joined the Dolphins in a trade with the Denver Broncos last November, and Chubb said it was strange practicing Wednesday without his bookend buddy.

“Yeah, it was for sure weird," Chubb said. "But it’s the new norm now. We’ve got to just continue to move forward because that’s what he would want us to do. Go out there and ball and do everything we talked about in the offseason. I’m going to go out there and continue to do what’s best for this team each and every day, and I know he’s going to everything to get back.”

Chubb said he's been in constant contact with Phillips since the injury occurred Friday, trying to keep his spirits up.

"It’s one of those things where I try to uplift him every chance I get," Chubb said. "We talk all the time. That’s my boy anyway. It’s more of a conversational thing more than a somber thing. Not when it first happened, but a couple days later, he was like, ‘Man, I’m going to be good. I just need y’all to be there for me.’ So it’s not more of a ‘Hey man, you’re going to be OK.’ It’s more of a regular conversation and try to make him feel as regular as possible because at the end of the day, that rehab process is a tough one to go through. And if things feel out of whack, you can kind of get down on yourself and stuff like that. So that’s my job and all of our jobs is to keep him uplifted.”

DOLPHINS INJURY REPORT

The Dolphins' first injury report for Week 13 ahead of the matchup against the Washington Commanders included a whopping 17 players, including four who did not practice.

The list did include Tua because of the right arm laceration, but he was a full participant.

Those who did not practice were WR Tyreek Hill (ankle), S Jevon Holland (knees), T Kendall (back) and RB Raheem Mostert (ankle/knee).

Another dozen players were listed as limited, including RB Chris Brooks, who was designated to return from IR and practiced for the first time in over a month; RB De'Von Achane, who missed the Jets game with a knee injury; and T Terron Armstead, who missed the end of the Jets game with a quad issue.

Also limited were DB Elijah Campbell (shoulder), Chubb (knee), WR Chase Claypool (knee), LS Blake Ferguson (ankle), OL Robert Hunt (hamstring), FB Alec Ingold (foot/ankle), OL Robert Jones (knee), TE Durham Smythe (ankle) and OL Connor Williams (illness).

THIS AND THAT

-- Former Dolphins seventh-round pick Gerrid Doaks was released off the Houston Texans practice squad.

-- OTD in Dolphins history: On Nov. 29, 1971, the Dolphins played their first-ever home Monday night game and routed the Chicago Bears, 34-3, at the Orange Bowl.

-- OTD in Dolphins history: On Nov. 29, 1998, the second of Dan Marino's three touchdown passes to O.J. McDuffie made him the first QB in NFL history to reach 400 career touchdown passes.

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