Tua Tagovailoa is “ready to take advantage of the opportunities” when the Dolphins return.

Tua Tagovailoa said he is “ready to take advantage of the opportunities” as he returns to practice with the Dolphins this week and hopes to play Sunday against the Cardinals after missing Miami’s last four games with a concussion had.

The Dolphins QB suffered a frightening concussion in Week 2, the third of his NFL career – leading football pundits and fans alike to openly question whether Tagovailoa should return to football.

Tagovailoa was cleared by medical experts to return to the field, and he told reporters Monday that he was free of any concussion symptoms the day after Thursday night’s game against the Bills on Sept. 12.

Now returning to the field, he said he needed to be “smart” in developing his style of play.

“You just have to be smart,” Tagovailoa said. “I was a competitor throughout my football days and that was or was kind of my advantage coming out of high school and even in college I did the same thing. But it’s a professional environment; This is the professional level, the best of the best, you just can’t do that. So we definitely have to remain more available to the team, the organization and our guys.”

Several former players called on Tagovailoa to retire after the recent concussion, but the quarterback said that he “didn’t pay attention to the outside noise” and that he never discussed retiring from football with his family.

He told reporters that he had had “some” discussions with his wife about returning, but nothing beyond that.

Tagovailoa’s history with concussions in the NFL began in 2022, when he was diagnosed with two concussions, and a third incident that same year led to the NFL changing its concussion reporting policy.

Although playing after a concussion comes with risk, Tagovailoa didn’t seem to let that deter him.

“I think the brain is — there’s just a gray area,” he said. “If you know that it’s going to give you a long-term illness, or if you don’t, then I think there’s just a lot of gray involved. For me, it’s what I like to do. That’s what makes me happy and I’m going to do it, that’s all.”

And although he expressed his appreciation for those who have expressed concern for him, Tagovailoa doesn’t mind the risk, saying at one point that the things you do every day are very risky.

“Now, how much risk are we taking when we get up in the morning to go to work?” Tagovailoa said. “Getting into a car accident, I don’t know. Everything I think involves risk. To answer this question: Every time we all get dressed, we all run the risk that we could potentially injure ourselves, be it a concussion, a broken bone, or something else. If you get out of bed incorrectly, you risk spraining your ankle. There’s just a risk in everything and everyone and I’m willing to take the risk, that’s all.”

The Dolphins were going through a difficult phase after Tagovailoa had already lost two games this season due to injury.

Miami has lost three of its last four games and is 2-4 in the AFC East.