Good news for the Miami Dolphins: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is likely to return to the field sometime this calendar year, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday. Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion against the Buffalo Bills on September 15, was placed on injured reserve two days later.
Tagovailoa can return to practice on October 23 after his IR stint is finished, but McDaniel said that a return this week is unlikely.
“As far as timelines go, I know he’s not playing this week,” McDaniel said in a press conference. “I do expect to see him playing football in 2024, but where that is exactly, we’ll let the process continue.”
Given his concerning history of concussions, Tagovailoa has been meeting with experts to discuss his potential NFL future, but has reportedly said that he does not plan to retire. McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa may seek additional experts this week.
“We’ll make sure to be diligent this week and assess after that,” McDaniel said.
Without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins offense has been struggling, going 0-3 in the weeks since the 26-year-old quarterback was injured. Tyler Huntley, who the Dolphins acquired after placing Tagovailoa on IR, has struggled in his past two game, throwing for 290 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Miami had a bye this past weekend, and will face the Indianapolis Colts away next Sunday.