Tua Reportedly on Track for Quick Return
It's looking like it will be a best-case scenario when it comes to the timetable for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's return to the lineup.
That would mean that Tagovailoa would miss the minimum three games possible once the Dolphins placed him on injured reserve the day before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3.
Jacoby Brissett will make his second start Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in Tua's absence and, barring unforeseen circumstances, will start again in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
One question to be answered once Tua return is what happened with quarterback Reid Sinnett, who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad when Tagovailoa was placed on IR. Because he was signed to the active roster, Sinnett couldn't go back to the practice squad without first having to clear waivers.
The Dolphins valued Sinnett enough before promoting him to the active roster that they protected him from poaching off the practice squad each of the first three weeks.
The Dolphins currently have 52 players on the active roster after placing center Michael Deiter on IR on Saturday.
Tua's return would set up a matchup between two of the most prolific college quarterbacks of recent years, with 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence coming off perhaps his best outing of the season in the Jaguars' Thursday night loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tagovailoa, of course, was injured early in the Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills in the home opener at Hard Rock Stadium when he was drilled by defensive end A.J. Epenesa while attempt a fourth-down pass that fell incomplete.
Head coach Brian Flores ruled Tua out for the Las Vegas game the following Wednesday when he revealed that the injury involved fractured ribs but didn't offer a timetable at that point.
The timetable became at least three games missed once Tua was placed on IR, and we now have a clear idea it might have exactly three games.
