Miami (AFP) – Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion last month and could play this weekend, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday. Tagovailoa, who has a history of concussions raising concern over his health, must still clear the NFL’s concussion protocol to be able to take the field against Arizona on Sunday.
“Our plan is to start him practicing on Wednesday,” McDaniel said. “The clearing doesn’t come until after some of the activity, but we’re doing so in the hope of everything going well so he can play Sunday, but that’s to be determined.” Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year deal worth $212.4 million last July, suffered a concussion in a loss to Buffalo on September 12 and was later placed on injured reserve after a third diagnosed concussion in two years.
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“I’ve been symptom-free from the next day after the game,” Tagovailoa said. Many called for Tagovailoa to retire after so many head injuries, but the 26-year-old Hawaiian said, “I wasn’t paying attention to any of it.”
“Had some conversations with my wife but that was it.” Asked what he would say to those concerned for his health, Tagovailoa said, “I appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game and I love it to the death of me.” Doctors have told him the long-term risks of so many concussions but Tagovailoa refuses to give up the sport he loves.
“There’s a gray area when it comes to that, if you’re going to get long-term disease or are not,” he said. “This is what makes me happy and I’m going to do it. That’s it. Every time we all suit up, we’re all taking a risk we could potentially get hurt…I’m willing to play the odds. That’s it.”
– Experts deemed it safe – Tagovailoa indicated he would remain a run and pass threat, the latest injury not changing how he plays. “I’ve just got to be smart,” said Tagovailoa. “Got to stay more available for the team, for the organization, for my guys.” The Dolphins, who have not scored more than 20 points in a game all season, have lost three of four games since Tagovailoa’s concussion, falling to 2-4 on the campaign.
“The reason he’s coming back now is because the medical experts have deemed it safe for him to return,” McDaniel said. “I don’t mess with timelines or try to overcook or forecast. You lean on experts on matters of the career and that’s what we’re doing here.” Tagovailoa suffered two diagnosed concussions in the 2022 campaign and was controversially kept in another contest that led to changes in NFL concussion protocol.
“What I know is the team did what’s in best in the interests of me,” he said of his latest benching. “Given what the doctors have told me, having a substantial amount of time to rest and recover, they did what was best, protecting myself from myself.”
NFL players this season have been allowed to wear Guardian Cap helmets this season in a bid to prevent head injuries, but Tagovailoa said he would not adopt the larger headgear. “Personal choice,” Tagovailoa said. The Dolphins hope to make a turnaround with Tagovailoa back in the lineup, but he isn’t seeing himself in a season savior role.
“I don’t put any pressure on myself coming back and having to save the team,” Tagovailoa said. Tagovailoa said it has been “frustrating” being stuck on the sidelines but he has attended team meetings and tried to be a leader off the field as needed. “It has been a different type of way of leading,” he said.
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