Dolphins expect QB Tua Tagovailoa to return from IR on Sunday vs. Cardinals

National Football League

Updated Oct. 21, 2024 2:16 p.m. ET

The Miami Dolphins are hoping to have Tua Tagovailoa back in action on Sunday.

Tagovailoa will be designated to return from injured reserve ahead of the Dolphins’ first practice on Wednesday, and the team intends for him to play against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday. This week is the first week that Tagovailoa is eligible to return from injured reserve, missing Miami’s last four games due to a concussion he suffered in the Dolphins’ Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

While the Dolphins might intend to start Tagovailoa against the Cardinals, he still needs to clear concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa has dealt with concussion concerns over the last few seasons. The one he suffered in Week 2 was the third he’s been diagnosed with since the start of the 2022 season.

He initially had a fencing response after his helmet collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin on a run in that game, sparking similar concerns to the concussions he suffered in 2022. He was able to walk off the field on his own power after the collision. Tagovailoa was expected to meet with multiple independent neurologists following the injury, McDaniel shared at the time.

McDaniel shared last week that the Dolphins were preparing to have Tagovailoa back at some point in the 2024 season, but didn’t share when.

Miami’s offense has struggled without Tagovailoa this season. It went 1-3 in the games he missed and ranks last in the league in scoring this season (11.7 points per game), which includes the two games Tagovailoa played. The three quarterbacks who filled in for Tagovailoa (Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, Tyler Huntley) have thrown just one touchdown pass total over the last four games, as the Dolphins are 2-4 on the season.

Tagovailoa has statistically been among the league’s best quarterbacks since he started playing under McDaniel in 2022. He threw for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2023, helping Miami reach the playoffs in each of the past two years.

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