Dolphins Lose Another Player for the Year, the Latest on Tua's Eye

Head coach Mike McDaniel provided some injury updates ahead of the Thursday night game against the Baltimore Ravens

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) in action against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins sustained one serious injury against the Atlanta Falcons, but Tua Tagovailoa's eye issue wasn't even a concern for head coach Mike McDaniel

"It was a blip on my radar," McDaniel said Monday during his weekly day-after-the-game media session. "I guess it was an eye issue, I'd call it. What does that mean? He has a built-in Halloween costume, for sure. Outside of that, I think, yeah, it's not really on my radar. There's medicines delivered by people that are responsible for that. And I'm assuming he'll have either no visor on or visor on. He'll throw with his left hand, I know that much."

Tagovailoa wore a visor in the 34-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons after waking up Sunday morning with a swollen left eye.

He said afterward he might wear the visor again Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens because his teammates told him it looked "swaggy."

DUCK IS DONE

The one major injury the Dolphins sustained against Atlanta involved cornerback Storm Duck, who was carted off the field with a knee injury in the fourth quarter.

McDaniel said Monday that Duck's injury was season-ending.

It will cap a frustrating year for Duck, one that began with a lot of promise when he shined early in training camp and earned a starting job for the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

But Duck sustained an ankle injury in that game and was sidelined for the next six games until he finally was able to return to action against the Falcons.

Duck was injured during an Atlanta pass play while covering wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and his right knee gave out before quarterback Kirk Cousins threw short to tight end Kyle Pitts.

If the Dolphins want to replace Duck with one of their own, they could sign either of the two practice squad cornerbacks, Isaiah Johnson or Kendall Sheffield, who was elevated the past two games.

THE SAFETY INJURIES

McDaniel said safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who sustained a thumb injury later in the fourth quarter, could have returned if the outcome already hasn't been decided.

Fellow safety Ashtyn Davis' availability for the Baltimore game will be complicated by the short week.

Davis sustained a quad injury while covering the Dolphins punt after the offense went three-and-out to start the game and didn't return. McDaniel labeled him as day-to-day, with the same applying to wide receiver Dee Eskridge and his shoulder injury.

STATUS QUO WITH IR

This should have been expected with the short week, but it's still a no-go for any of the five players on injured reserve or PUP.

That group consists of kicker Jason Sanders, along with four offensive linemen, James Daniels, Austin Jackson, Andrew Meyer and Liam Eichenberg.

There's still no definite timetable for any of them.

Meyer and Eichenberg have yet to play this season, while Daniels and Jackson went on IR after both being injured in the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.