Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is anticipated to renew training subsequent week, with the hopes of with the ability to play subsequent Sunday towards the Arizona Cardinals, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Tagovailoa stays within the concussion protocol and is topic to the NFL’s return-to-play provisions, which is able to play a vital step in figuring out whether or not he can return for subsequent Sunday’s recreation.
Regardless of his most up-to-date concussion, Tagovailoa plans to aim to return to enjoying soccer, and it now not appears to be a query.
As scary Tagovailoa’s newest damage was, together with his arms falling into the fencing syndrome, it’s in line with how he has acted after every of the opposite concussions that he suffered.
Tagovailoa has been noticed visiting with neurologists in Pittsburgh, as he has performed up to now, and docs seemingly haven’t informed him something robust sufficient that may change his thoughts about eager to proceed enjoying the game that has been part of his life since his childhood.
Not solely has Tagovailoa consulted with among the similar docs he visited after earlier head accidents, he additionally has visited with new ones, attempting to collect as a lot info as doable in making a transparent willpower about his future. However as one supply informed ESPN earlier this month: “He is one hundred pc enjoying.”
Tagovailoa additionally has insisted that he has felt advantageous. After struggling a concussion within the Dolphins’ Week 2 Thursday evening recreation towards the Payments, he was symptom free shortly thereafter. Relatively than go to a neighborhood hospital, Tagovailoa hung across the Dolphins’ locker room, greeted his teammates, and demonstrated few indicators that he had skilled one other traumatic episode involving his mind.
The Athletic first reported Saturday that Tagovailoa was anticipated to renew training subsequent week.
Tagovailoa, 26, has a historical past of concussions since getting into the NFL in 2020. He was recognized with two concussions through the 2022 season and suffered a 3rd hit to the top that led to the NFL altering its coverage on how concussions are reported.
After he was recognized with a concussion on Dec. 26, 2022, the Dolphins successfully shut him down for the rest of the season; he progressed by the league’s protocol as soon as the season ended.
Tagovailoa will miss his fourth recreation Sunday when Miami goes to Indianapolis to play the Colts. However Tagovailoa will likely be eligible to come back off injured reserve subsequent week and return Oct. 27 for Miami’s residence recreation towards the Cardinals.
Miami has began two quarterbacks in Tagovailoa’s absence: Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley; the latter was signed from the Ravens’ apply squad and began his first recreation two weeks later after an damage to Thompson.
The Dolphins plan to proceed beginning Huntley till Tagovailoa’s return. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated the group’s Week 6 bye allowed Huntley to “actually bounce into” the finer factors of the Dolphins’ complicated offense.
Whereas the Dolphins will intently and punctiliously monitor him, there’s a rising sense that Tagovailoa will likely be behind heart as early as subsequent week.
Tagovailoa already has been collaborating in group conferences, standing on the sideline for each recreation he has missed and collaborating in all group actions, besides the practices and video games.
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.
