Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa to return in Week 8: report

The Miami Dolphins lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Week 2 after the signal-caller suffered his third official concussion. Tagovailoa was trying to get a first down against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter and ran headfirst into Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

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Tagovailoa was clearly hurt and began to adopt the same “fencing stance” he did in 2022 when he took a big hit to the head against the Cincinnati Bengals. After another concussion reminiscent of the 2022 incident, many called for Tagovailoa to retire from the NFL.

Despite pleas for his personal safety, Tagovailoa revealed he had no intention of retiring. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel also revealed that Tagovailoa would be consulting with outside neurologists to determine his playing future.

McDaniel reiterated that Tagovailoa will approach recovery the same way he did in 2022. Tagovailoa met with outside neurologists in Week 3 and has now received a comprehensive update on his playing future.

According to Dolphins beat reporter Adam Beasley via NFL Insider Adam Schefter, “Adam Schefter reports that Tua Tagovailoa is “symptom-free” and appears to be on track to return to the field as early as Week 8.”

The Dolphins initially did not place Tagovailoa on injured reserve, but ultimately decided to do so to give the quarterback time to consult with outside doctors. Due to his IR status, Tagovailoa is not eligible to return until Week 8. Now it looks like he plans to do just that.

The X post above indicates that Tagovailoa is “symptom free” and will be back under center when the Dolphins take on the Arizona Cardinals. This news should make Dolphins fans very happy, as the offense has stalled since Tagovailoa’s demise.

Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson took over in Week 2 when Tagovailoa took over. He did little to help the team come back against the Bills. In Week 3, the Dolphins decided to give Thompson a full start. The offensive line didn’t hold up, resulting in Thompson suffering a pectoral injury.

The Dolphins were then forced to bring in long-time veteran Tim Boyle. Boyle also couldn’t bring the team together, and Miami fell to 1-2 on the season after soundly beating the Seattle Seahawks.

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The Dolphins had signed Tyler “Snoop” Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, but he was given the emergency third quarterback designation for Week 3.

The Dolphins opted to start Huntley against the Titans, but another loss could paint a bleak picture for the offensive attack until Tagovailoa can return.

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