Sports
Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the closing hurdle for his return to stream.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback passed thru concussion protocol on Friday, putting him on a direction to be activated from injured reserve earlier than Sunday’s game in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals, coach Mike McDaniel knowledgeable journalists.
“After going thru the draw and having a apply the attach apart we had been in a dwelling to provoke some contact with him,” McDaniel acknowledged, “after which he met with an neutral doctor and used to be fully cleared. He used to be out of the protocol.”
The data used to be anticipated after Tagovailoa obtained in a fleshy workload at apply on Thursday. Miami has been optimistic in regards to the QB’s return from his newest concussion. He’s officially listed as questionable and anticipated to be activated off IR earlier than Sunday’s tilt.
McDaniel reiterated that Tagovailoa met with a “laundry list” of properly being workers as portion of the protocol and “zero of them in actual fact handy” that Tagovailoa retire from football.
“He’s executed an illustrious job of no longer doing one thing else but controlling what he can wait on a watch on,” McDaniel acknowledged of Tagovailoa’s restoration. “So in that, he’s place his simplest foot forward to address himself as properly as to be the leader of this football crew, staunch in a a variety of arrangement. In all of that, he’s been fully engaged, but he’s also turn into very aware that he’s no longer in turning into a coach anytime quickly, that his adore is taking part in football.
“He’s enthusiastic as all americans is. Whenever you happen to had any questions about how precious he is, I mediate or no longer it is lovely glaring.”
The Dolphins offense has gone within the tank for the explanation that beginning QB used to be injured in Week 2. McDaniel’s club went 1-3 without Tua, scoring 40 total elements — 10 elements per game.
On the season, the Dolphins beget the closing-ranked scoring offense (11.7 PPG), which could per chance be the bottom PPG by the franchise all-time (15.2 in 1966, Miami’s first 365 days as a franchise). Final 365 days, the Dolphins averaged 29.2 PPG, second within the NFL.
In Tagovailoa’s stead, the Dolphins vulnerable three quarterbacks: Skylar Thompson (one delivery), Tyler Huntley (three starts) and Tim Boyle. Thompson went down with a rib hurt in Week 3. Huntley exited Week 7 on account of a shoulder hurt and is never any longer anticipated to be within the market in Week 8. Miami also inked feeble C.J. Beathard to the apply squad this week.
McDaniel did no longer say Friday whether Thompson, Boyle or Beathard will again up Tagovailoa.
“I’m lovely sure I do know who it is miles,” McDaniel acknowledged, “but I are looking to create. After this apply, I mediate we will know with absolute sure wager, but I ought to let the fleshy work week play out earlier than I tag it.”
No matter lacking the past four video games, Tagovailoa remains the exclusively Dolphins participant with two-plus trot touchdowns in 2024 — he has two passing TDs. Huntley (1) is the exclusively other Miami participant to beget a trot TD this season.
Miami hopes that Tua’s return jumpstarts the offense and keeps its hope alive for a postseason plod within the closing 11 weeks.