The Miami Dolphins may have lost just their game on Thursday against the Buffalo Bills, but they also must be concerned about whether they have lost their season after just two weeks.
The Dolphins are a banged-up team at the moment, with the biggest injury concern certainly being the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered another concussion in the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to their AFC East rivals.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Injury Miami’s Biggest Concern
Miami has had a number of key players go down with injuries already this season, with none bigger at the moment than Tagovailoa, who went down on a hard hit in the third quarter on Thursday.
Tagovailoa left the game with what was diagnosed as a concussion, and now his status going forward is very much uncertain.
After the game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel expressed concern about Tagovailoa the person, saying “I’m just worried about the human being.”
McDaniel also would not provide any information on the future of his star quarterback.
“From a medical standpoint, I don’t approach things (where) I’m far inferior in expertise,” McDaniel said. “For me to forecast things that I don’t know, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
If Tagovailoa is forced to miss any games, the Dolphins’ backup quarterback is Skylar Thompson. On Thursday, Thompson went 8-for-14 passing for 80 yards in place of Tagovailoa. Thompson, who did not play at all last season for the Dolphins, played in seven games in 2022, including two starts.
As for Tagovailoa, this was the fourth diagnosed concussion of his career, dating back to college. He had been diagnosed with three concussions, including two in the 2022 season, prior to Thursday. Additionally, Tagovailoa suffered a back injury in a game against the Bills that preceded his two diagnosed concussions.
Tagovailoa returned in 2023 and played in all 17 games, finishing as the NFL’s leading passer with 4,624 yards.
This past offseason, Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension, making him not only the highest-paid player in Dolphins history but also the face of the franchise.
Other Dolphins Injury Fallout From Bills Game
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa’s injury wasn’t the first, but only the latest for this team.
Miami came into Thursday’s matchup already shorthanded in the backfield. Running back Raheem Mostert was inactive with a chest injury.
Additionally, backup wide receiver Malik Washington did not play due to a quadriceps injury.
Miami lost backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. to an oblique injury and starting offensive tackle Terron Armstead with a shoulder injury during Thursday’s game.
The Dolphins later lost starting guard Rob Jones, who left Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury.
This team is also without star edge rusher Bradley Chubb, who is still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered New Year’s Eve vs. the Baltimore Ravens, as well as veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is out the first four games of the season while on the reserve/PUP list with an undisclosed injury.
Can Dolphins Move Forward From Injuries?
As the injuries pile up, it’s worth looking ahead to see if the Dolphins, now 1-1 on the season, have a chance to remain competitive in the AFC East.
Week 3 begins a stretch in which Miami will play five road contests in a seven-game span.
The Dolphins will be at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, then, after hosting the Tennessee Titans in Week 4, they will play road games at the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Miami has a Week 6 bye in between the Patriots and Colts games.
After hosting the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, the Dolphins get their rematch with the Bills, this time in Buffalo, in Week 9. Miami closes out this difficult stretch with a Monday night game at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10.
After injuries played a role in last season’s slide down the stretch — Miami went 2-3 in its last five games — the Dolphins are crossing their fingers that many of their wounded will return before the season gets away from them before it really begins.