Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said last week he didn’t want to check on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s progress in the concussion protocol until the NFL team’s bye week.
The Dolphins’ bye week began on Monday, thus McDaniel was asked to provide an update on Tagovailoa at his afternoon press conference.
McDaniel said the former Alabama All-American’s recovery is “so far, so good.”
“There has been nothing negative so far,” McDaniel added. “Nothing unpleasant has happened so far, but we are still in the process. We don’t hasten that process, and we don’t want to disrupt it, so I’ll stick to the guidelines I’ve set for myself.”
On September 12, Tagovailoa exited the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills due to a concussion. The quarterback’s injury sparked alarm because he suffered two concussions during the 2022 season, forcing him to miss five games.
On September 17, Miami placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve, requiring him to sit out at least four games. The earliest Tagovailoa may return is October 27 against the Arizona Cardinals.
“The way that would look is there’s some expert consultation that he has set for this week,” McDaniel said, “and then we’ll address – the last phases of protocol won’t be achieved until we get him off IR and have that first practice. So, until then, we’re just communicating, and everything has been going so well.”
To return, Tagovailoa must pass the NFL’s concussion protocol, which involves being cleared by the team doctor and an independent neurologist after a five-step process.
The return-to-participation protocol starts with symptom-limited activities. This is primarily a relaxation phase, though some stretching, balance exercises, and modest cardiovascular activity are permitted. If a player’s symptoms do not worsen or he shows indicators of a concussion during a neurological evaluation, he can move on to the next level. That need applies step by step throughout the return process.
The second phase is aerobic exercise, which consists of a progressive fitness regimen that includes stationary bike or treadmill workouts, stretching, and balancing training. At this point, the player is also free to attend team meetings again.
After establishing that he can participate in cardiovascular activity without experiencing an increase in symptoms, the player progresses to the third level, football-specific exercise. At this point, the player can begin strength training and practice “sport-specific exercise” with the squad for no more than 30 minutes.
A player in this stage of recovery will also have neuropsychological tests. If that test reveals that he has not returned to his baseline readings, as determined by a neuropsychology consultant, the tests will be repeated until he does, usually every 48 hours. A player cannot resume contact activities unless they have passed the neuropsychological testing.
The fourth step in the return process is called club-based, non-contact training drills. The drills are position-specific. In Tagovailoa’s situation, this would imply throwing the football. The player could then advance to non-contact practice sessions with his team.
Before a player can return to full game action, they must first participate in complete football activities without setbacks. The team’s physician can clear the player after that, but final approval comes from the independent neurological consultant assigned to the team.
On Sunday, Miami finally scored its first touchdown since Tagovailoa left the Buffalo game, with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter. Fullback Alex Ingold’s 3-yard run with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots marked exactly 13 quarters since Tagovailoa’s departure. The Dolphins’ touchdown helped secure a 15-10 victory after losing their previous two games to Seattle (24-3 on Sept. 22) and Tennessee (31-12 on Sept. 30).
Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson stepped in for Tagovailoa but suffered a rib injury against Seattle.
Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, signed from the Ravens’ practice squad following Tagovailoa’s injury, has been the starting quarterback for the last two games. In the New England matchup, Huntley completed 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception, along with three carries for seven yards.
Coach Mike McDaniel suggested that Huntley will likely remain the starting quarterback after Miami’s bye week when they face the Colts on Oct. 20. McDaniel praised Huntley’s improvement, noting that his progress from managing the offense to executing it has been impressive. He anticipates continued growth with more consistency in the offense, while recognizing there is still room for improvement.
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