During the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his fourth concussion in five years.
It was a scary scene, as he appeared to involuntarily assume the fencing position, just as he did when he suffered a similar head injury against the Cincinnati Bengals two years ago. Tagovailoa was ruled out shortly after leaving the field, with many wondering if he would walk away from football for good.
The backup QB combination of Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle couldn’t elicit any rhythm in the offense, and Thompson picked up a rib injury of his own. Perhaps Tyler “Snoop” Huntley can resuscitate a Dolphins offense built on speed and timing, but at the forefront of Dolphins fans’ (and fantasy managers’) minds is when Tagovailoa will be back. Will we see Tua tonight when the Dolphins face the Tennessee Titans?
What Is the Latest Injury Update for Tua Tagovailoa?
No, Tagovailoa isn’t playing in tonight’s “Monday Night Football” contest. Tua will miss at least the next three games as he recovers from his latest concussion.
The Dolphins officially placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve on Sept. 17. That means the soonest he’ll be eligible to return is Oct. 27 when the Dolphins host the Arizona Cardinals.
Tagovailoa has been meeting with neurologists and concussion specialists to determine a recovery timeline.
Fortunately for Dolphins fans and fantasy managers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a positive update on Monday, saying that Tagovailoa has been symptom-free and that in his meetings with neurologists, they haven’t told “anything to dissuade him from” playing this season. In fact, there’s a real chance that Tua could be back in Week 8 against the Cardinals.
This aligns with what we heard recently from NFL insider Tom Pelissero on “The Rich Eisen Show.” Pelissero revealed that Tua traveled with the team to Seattle in Week 3 and has resumed all of his normal non-football activities. The fact that he was cleared to fly and felt up for traveling on a six-hour flight is an excellent sign.
“The short version of what they’ve told him is, ‘Hey, if you’re feeling good, do all your normal activities, just not football stuff.’” Pelissero said. “And that’s what Tua wants. He wants to be engaged. He’s been in meetings. He was on the sideline. He’s been talking with the quarterbacks. That all tracks with what we’ve been reporting, which is that Tua intends to be back on the field at some point in the future and, quite possibly, later on this season.”
🎥 Tom Pelissero on Tua Tagovailoa's return: "[Tua] wants to be engaged. He's been in meetings, he was on the sideline… Tua intends to be back on the field at some point in the future and quite possible later on in this season." (@RichEisenShow) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/pBUO3cMGB7
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 27, 2024
Pelissero also noted that the Dolphins aren’t operating like a team that expects to be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, as they haven’t engaged in trade talks to acquire a QB from another team. Instead, they just signed Tyler “Snoop” Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad as more of a stopgap solution.
Tagovailoa has already missed one game against the Seahawks, and now he’ll also be sidelined against the Titans, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. Those four games, plus the team’s Week 6 bye, give Tua a long runway to get healthy.
While there’s a chance that Tagovailoa will be ready to return by Week 8, the team isn’t rushing him back.
“The Dolphins are committed to placing no timeline on him as he works through a deliberate process and eventual return to play,” reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Fortunately, Tua seems to be in good spirits. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel recently offered an encouraging update to PFN’s Adam Beasley.
“He’s downstairs today, smiling with his teammates,” McDaniel said. “He’s working with trainers and medical staff diligently. As far as I’m concerned, you’re in the protocol, and I think he’s doing well today and we take it day by day.
“He was feeling good, but what does that mean in terms of a medical diagnosis? I don’t base my judgments on my interactions with him, necessarily, as much as it is hearing the end result of the medical examination and where he where he’s at. It was good to see him. And I know his teammates were pumped to see him.”
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In 10 games without Tagovailoa as their starting QB since 2021, the Dolphins have posted a positive offensive EPA just once. They produced -25.2 offensive EPA in Sunday’s loss against the Seahawks, their worst in a game since Week 2 vs. the Bills in 2021 (when Tua was injured in the first quarter).
Fantasy Outlook
This offense was a mess last week.
I take that back, I don’t want to offend the word “mess.”
Miami managed just three points against Seattle last week, three points that came gift-wrapped via an interception that put the Dolphins’ offense at the Seahawks’ 6-yard line. They worked hard for the two yards they went on to gain and got their points.
Miami’s offense is in serious trouble. The expectations were low for the backup QBs, but their ineptitude in terms of featuring a single receiver was alarming — no Dolphin earned even 17% of the targets in Week 3. We’ll see if things improve with Snoop Huntley under center, but the Dolphins’ pass-catchers will lose a ton of value as long as Tua is out.
Tyreek Hill is still a fantasy starter, but I’m not beholden to that beyond this week if we don’t see signs of life.
Miami’s WR1 hasn’t been a top-40 receiver in consecutive weeks, which means he has matched his total of such performances from last season. Part of what made this offense so explosive under Tagovailoa was the versatility and misdirection, but if defenses aren’t concerned about the quarterback making the proper reads, none of the motion matters.
I’m hopeful that, with two weeks to work in a new system, Miami’s offense can adapt to having a backup under center. Yet, if Monday night looks anything like last Sunday, I could see a world in which Hill doesn’t crack my top 30 in Week 5 at Foxboro.
As for Jaylen Waddle, he has been efficient this season (13 catches on 14 targets), and while that’s a plus for his floor, it’s come at the cost of his ceiling.
- Week 1: 14.4 aDOT
- Weeks 2-3: 4.3 aDOT
In my opinion, there’s no denying Waddle’s talent, but I’m not sure he can overcome the limitations of Miami’s offense in his current role. I’m open to the idea of being wrong, but he’s my WR37 this week, ranking next to other receivers with trigger pullers who I don’t trust (Michael Pittman Jr., Courtland Sutton, and both Titans receivers).