Dolphins make notable move with Tua Tagovailoa

Oct 15, 2021; Ware, United Kingdom; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) at a press conference at the Hanbury Marriott Manor and Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins have made a notable move with Tua Tagovailoa in the wake of the quarterback’s latest concussion.

Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. That means he will miss at least the next four weeks, though the Dolphins have yet to give any indication of when Tagovailoa might return.

Sources to me and @RapSheet: The #Dolphins are placing QB Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve in order to give him ample time to progress through the stages of concussion protocol and meet with outside neurologists.

The earliest Tagovailoa could return is Week 8 against the… pic.twitter.com/8n8t16qyK8

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 17, 2024

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the team did not yet have enough information to decide whether Tagovailoa should go on IR, but the news is not a surprise.

Tagovailoa’s head slammed into the midsection of a defender after he scrambled for a first down in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., last Thursday. The former Alabama star immediately showed concussion symptoms and was ruled out minutes after leaving the game.

The concussion was at least the third for Tagovailoa in his NFL career, as he missed time after suffering two during the 2022 season. Tagovailoa also had a concussion in 2019 while he was playing at Alabama.

Many prominent members of the NFL community have urged Tagovailoa to retire, but a report over the weekend said Tua fully intends to play again. If that happens in 2024, it will be in Week 8 at the earliest.