MIAMI, Oct. 21 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who hasn’t played since Sept. 12 due to a concussion, will return to practice Wednesday and could start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday
Tagovailoa visited with neurologists during his hiatus to receive advice about the third documented concussion of his NFL career. He must still pass the NFL’s concussion protocol to play in Week 8.
“Our plan is to start him practicing Wednesday,” McDaniel told reporters at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. “The clearing doesn’t come until after some of the activity.
“We are doing so in the hope of everything going well so he can play Sunday. That will be to be determined.”
McDaniel said medical experts deemed Tagovailoa would “be best served with time” in light of his latest concussion. The Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve Sept. 17. League rules require for players with that designation to sit out at least four games. The Dolphins have gone 1-3 during Tagovailoa’s absence.
“We are just following the directive and the opinion of medical experts,” McDaniel said. “The reason he is coming back now is because the medical experts have deemed it safe for him to return.”
The Dolphins, who had the top offense in the NFL last season — with an average of 401.3 yards per game — averaged 308.2 yards per game this season, the 11th-lowest total in the league.
Tagovailoa, who signed a $212.4 million contract extension in July, completed 23 of 37 passes for 338 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins’ Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Just four days later, he completed 17 of 25 passes for 145 yards, a score and three interceptions against the Buffalo Bills. He then slammed his head into the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the third quarter and did not return to the game.
Tagovailoa said Monday that he has been “symptom free” since the day after he sustained his latest concussion. He also said he wasn’t paying attention to rumors swirling about his potential retirement because of his concussion history and that he did not consider that possibility.
Tagovailoa also said he will not wear a Guardian Cap, which some NFL players have chosen to wear in games this season. The soft-shell helmet covers are engineered to reduce impact from hits to the head. Tagovailoa called his decision to not wear the cap “a personal choice.”
“I just gotta be smart,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s it. Just gotta be smart. My entire time playing football, I’ve been a competitor. That was sort of my edge, when I would run, from high school and even in college I would do the same thing.
“But this is a professional level, the best of the best. You just can’t be doing that. I’ve definitely gotta stay more available for the team, for the organization and for our guys.”
With Tagovailoa, the Dolphins averaged 375.5 yards per game through their first two contests of the season. They averaged 274.5 yards per game during his hiatus.
Backup quarterbacks Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley combined to complete 60.3% of their throws for 638 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions amid Tagovailoa’s absence. They were sacked 13 times and lost one fumble.
Tagovailoa said he was frustrated while watching from the sidelines. He attended meetings, surveyed game plans and continued to speak to teammates over the last several weeks.
He also said he appreciated the concerns of those worried about his concussion history and that he learned there is a lot of “gray area” about the science linking concussions to long-term brain diseases.
“I appreciate your concern,” Tagovailoa said. “I really do. I love this game and I love it to the death of me. That’s it.”
The Dolphins (2-4) will host the Cardinals (2-4) at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday in Miami Gardens.
