Tua Tagovailoa played his first football game in 237 days. Preseason or not, it was meaningful for the Dolphins quarterback.
Tagovailoa missed the end of last season with the last of multiple concussions in 2022.
After considering retirement, Tagovailoa instead incorporated jiu-jitsu into his training regimen and strengthened his body.
“It was awesome,” Tagovailoa said of playing again, via Mark Inabinett of al.com. “You get all the feelings that you normally feel of getting back out there again – butterflies, anxious to get out there, all these thoughts going through your head. I thought it felt really good being able to go out there, call plays with the guys, the camaraderie in the huddle.
“Things didn’t go our way, adversity hit, and it was cool to see the guys respond.”
Tagovailoa’s 2022 season ended with an interception on Christmas night when Packers defensive back Rasul Douglas picked him with 1:29 remaining. He was diagnosed with a concussion the next day.
His preseason debut opened the same way: Tagovailoa’s first pass Saturday, intended for tight end Tyler Kroft, was intercepted by Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman.
“It was just a bad play,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s really all it was – just bad quarterback play. That’s not how you want to start out a drive any way you look at it.”
Perryman returned the pick 19 yards before Tagovailoa, of all people, made the tackle. It was a good sign that Tagovailoa was no worse for wear, but the Dolphins probably would have preferred their starter get out of harm’s way, especially in the preseason.
“As a quarterback, I understand the whole ‘OK, you threw an interception, try not to get hurt while you’re trying to make a tackle,’” Tagovailoa said. “But on top of throwing the interception, what’s even worse than that is the guy scoring when he intercepts the ball, so I think for me, I’m going to do the best that I can to make a play.”
Tagovailoa got the Dolphins in the end zone on their second possession, going 5-of-6 for 61 yards on a 93-yard drive. He then handed the keys to backup Skylar Thompson.
More importantly, Tagovailoa came out of the game just fine after taking some hits.
“It’s a physical sport. It’s tough,” Tagovailoa said. “I went out there and was expecting to get hit. I was expecting to go to the ground, all of that.”
