Tua

Tagovailoa

Huntley was much better against the Patriots than he was last week against the Titans. He appeared far more comfortable in the pocket and was able to execute Mike McDaniel’s scripted plays early in the game. Huntley targeted Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on a combined 17 of his 31 pass attempts. He could get one more start for the Dolphins if Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is unable to return following the team’s Week 6 bye.

In a separate radio interview, Schefter said he thinks Tagovailoa is “going to be back” and “it would be more surprising if Tua didn’t come back.” Tagovailoa is reportedly symptom-free and none of the neurologists he has consulted has encouraged him to retire. On injured reserve, Tagovailoa is required to miss the Dolphins’ next two games, which are Week 5 against the Patriots and Week 7 against the Colts. Concussion experts have said that Tagovailoa will need to sit out an extended time after future concussions going forward. The Dolphins offense desperately needs him back as their backup quarterbacks have sunk the entire offense.

The league’s concussion rules for players who have suffered previous brain injuries — like Tagovailoa — “puts return-to-play decisions entirely in the hands of medical experts, completely excluding teams’ coaches and football staffers from having any say in such matters.” Tagovailoa, 26, is reportedly not considering retirement after his fourth brain injury since the start of the 2022 season. He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks. It would not be surprising if he was held out for much longer, however.

The Dolphins want to give Tua ample time to recover and progress as he goes through the concussion protocol. The earliest he could return is in Week 8 against the Cardinals, but the Dolphins have given him no official date to return. As reported earlier in the week, Tua has no plans of retiring as of now and will meet with outside neurologist before returning to play. There seems to be a decent plan in place for Tua and his eventual return.

McDaniel said that there’s not enough information yet for the Dolphins to determine how long Tagovailoa will be out. The left-handed quarterback is meeting with neurologists this week, and that will go a long way towards determining when — and if — he can make that return to the gridiron. Skyler Thompson will get the nod in Tagovailoa’s absence, and the team signed Tyler Huntley to be Thompson’s backup from the Ravens’ practice squad. Fantasy managers should be prepared for Tagovailoa not to be on the field for a while.

Per Schefter, “Tagovailoa will be seeking their input into the severity of his latest concussion and the cumulative effect of the ones he has suffered in the past to make the most informed decision about his future.” Tagovailoa has an extensive and frightening concussion history and suffered yet another brain injury in Week 2 against the Bills. He walked off the field under his own power after colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin but did not return to the game. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Skylar Thompson will take Tua’s place in the lineup if he can’t play in Week 3. That looks like a near certainty given Tua’s injury history.

McDaniel described Thompson, who came in for Tagovailoa on Thursday night after Tagovailoa suffered a brain injury, as the “next man up.” McDaniel added the team would likely make a depth signing at quarterback in the coming days. Thompson will be a massive downgrade for everyone in the Miami offense. He was 8 for 14 for 80 scoreless yards on Thursday night against the Bills.

It’s the worst possible news for a player with a long history of head injuries. Scrambling past the chains for a critical conversion on a fourth down in the red zone, Tagovailoa failed to slide and took a big hit from Bills S Damar Hamlin. He immediately appeared to go into the “fencing position,” a tell-tale sign of a concussion. Tagovailoa remained down for several moments before making his way to the sideline, then locker room, unassisted. Skylar Thompson is in the game at quarterback and will play the final 1.5 quarters. Tagovailoa was struggling mightily before going down, tossing three picks and failing to challenge down the field. The only good news is that he has 10 days to get cleared for Week 3 against the Seahawks. Considering his injury history, however, Tagovailoa will probably miss multiple weeks, perhaps requiring a stint on injured reserve.

Tagovailoa struggled a bit in the first half and missed a couple would-be long gains to his speedy wideouts. He mostly checked down to De’Von Achane and other short-area targets until the Dolphins were down multiple scores. Tua in the third quarter finally hit Tyreek Hill in stride for an 80-yard score. Nearly 68 percent of Tua’s passing yards came after the catch, the highest rate of Week 1 so far. After losing significant weight in the offseason, Tua appeared more agile and able to move outside the pocket — a potential boon for everyone in the Miami offense. Tua gets a suspect Bills defense in Week 2.

Hill did not catch passes during Tuesday’s practice, Jackson said. It’s an injury situation head coach Mike McDaniel will likely address during his Wednesday news conference. The Dolphins have been plagued with injuries during training camp. Jackson said 20 Miami players are dealing with some kind of ailment. If Hill were to miss any regular season action, Jaylen Waddle would operate as the team’s No. 1 wideout and rookie Malik Washington could be WR2.