Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won’t be available to play until he clears all appropriate concussion protocols. Given recent events, the protocols applied to Tua will likely be as rigid and exacting as they ever have been.
As Dolphins coach Mike McDaniels put it on Friday, “You’re in the protocol until you’re out of the protocol.”
McDaniel said that, in the interim, Teddy Bridgewater will start at quarterback.
“Teddy would start and guys have a lot of confidence in him and guys have confidence in our whole quarterback room, really,” McDaniel told reporters. “It’s one of the strengths of our football team and I think guys rely on that. Tua, Teddy and Skylar [Thompson] have performed in a great working group and our guys believe in all three of them.”
Thompson, a rookie who played very well in the preseason, is now one injury or extended ineffectiveness (in theory) away from playing.
“Skylar has been what you guys know Skylar to be,” McDaniel said. “He’s just working constantly and when he’s on the field, he’ll make some plays. He’s in a great spot, too. I feel very fortunate to have those two guys.”
Bridgewater played well last night, well enough to win the game, frankly. In the end, a defense that had been on the field for 90 plays four days earlier seemed to run out of steam.