Here we go. After Miami takes on Indianapolis, Tua Tagovailoa will have missed four games after he was placed on Injured Reserve with a concussion he suffered in Week 2. We now know that he won't be missing any additional action.
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Tagovailoa has cleared the protocols and after speaking with the neurologists, he will return to the Dolphins after their game against the Colts and will presumably play against the Cardinals in week 8. Boom:
Tua Tagovailoa is back. The Miami quarterback is set to practice this week and the hope is he will start in week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 19, 2024
Here’s more on Miami and more intel around the league:https://t.co/gx67zF8xfy pic.twitter.com/k7ZeesIFtJ
There is no reason to believe that Tua will not play against the Cardinals if he is healthy enough to practice. Even if he is rusty, he still offers the team the best chance at winning. It's good news for Dolphins fans and the team as a whole, but there will be questions.
No one questions his drive to win or desire to play at a high level, but what kind of "rust" will he have to shake off? Tua was more hesitant when he came back from his first concussion in the NFL in 2022. He threw quicker to avoid hits and didn't run the ball with conviction, often pulling up well short of a defender. While that is smart on his part, he left a lot of yards and first downs on the field. He would venture into martial arts to help him out.
Tua Tagovailoa's return is the massive boost the Miami Dolphins need
This time around, he shouldn't be as worried about taking another hit. Against the Bills, he didn't get hit or thrown to the ground. He lowered his head to go through a defender instead of sliding. It was contact that he shouldn't have taken. Timing might be a bit of an issue to start, but the Cardinals don't have a great defense and Tua and the offense should be able to overcome any issues.
The Dolphins have to get to Week 8 first. They face the Colts this weekend and if they can beat the AFC South side, the Dolphins will hand the ball back to Tua with a .500 record at 3-3. The toughest parts of the Dolphins schedule are still to come, but getting the franchise quarterback on the field will go a long way to moving up in the standings.