Tua Tagovailoa injury update: Dolphins designate QB to return from IR; on track to play Week 8 against the Cardinals

Tua Tagovailoa is on track to return to the Miami Dolphins after missing several weeks with a concussion. On Monday, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters via ESPN that the team is designating the quarterback to return from injured reserve.

Tagovailoa, who must still go through concussion protocol to play in their Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals, will practice with the team on Wednesday, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.

Week 8 marks the earliest Tagovailoa could return from injured reserve as the Dolphins open his 21-day practice window.

“I have been symptom-free since the next day [after the concussion]” Tagovailoa said, adding that experts had told him that longer rest periods would help.

He said, putting him on IR: “I think [the Dolphins] did what was best to protect me from myself.

The 26-year-old was diagnosed with his fourth documented concussion in five years during the Dolphins’ Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills. He collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin while rushing for a first down, and after showing signs of a concussion after the play, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game as he entered the concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa met with neurologists during his time on the injured reserve. Given his history of concussions, there were concerns about his long-term health, leading to questions about whether he would ever play again or decide to retire. According to reports, the former first-round pick wanted to continue playing.

During the recovery process, McDaniel hadn’t said too much about the schedule. He admitted this for the first time last week expected Tagovailoa to play again this season.

“I didn’t pay any attention to it at all,” Tagovailoa said when asked if he had heard any calls from outside for his resignation. “None of that.”

Tagovailoa was also asked if he would change his playing style in the future.

“You just have to be smart, that’s all,” he said. “You just have to be smart. I was a competitor throughout my football days and that was or was kind of my advantage when I ran out of high school, even in college I did the same thing. But it’s a professional.” Attitude; that’s the professional level, the best of the best, you just can’t do that, so you definitely have to stay more available to the team, to the organization, to our guys.”

Before suffering a concussion, Tagovailoa had 483 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Dolphins are currently 2:4, have major problems on offense and urgently need their starting quarterback to back them up. Tagovailoa’s return will certainly help, but he won’t put any additional pressure on himself given the Dolphins’ current state.

“I don’t think I put pressure on myself to come back and have to save the team,” he said. “I think what we need to do is look at the last game, all 11 guys on the field, with the plays that were called, did we have a chance to score on every drive? And if we can say yes.” Then we can look at ourselves and see what we can do to be better in the future.