Whereas the Miami Dolphins stay with out a timeline for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s return from his concussion, he's definitively being dominated out for Sunday’s sport on the New York Jets.
“I can comfortably say that he’s out for this sport in opposition to the Jets,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel mentioned of Tagovailoa on Monday as his workforce got here again from a weekend off after enjoying Thursday night time in Cincinnati. “It’s too early to present a particular timeline.”
McDaniel mentioned Tagovailoa’s MRI from Friday, which was nonetheless pending when he final spoke that afternoon, got here again clear. That comes along with the X-rays and CT scans that the coach mentioned didn’t present something regarding.
Tagovailoa was at Dolphins amenities on Monday as he stays in concussion protocol however the remainder of the workforce practices. The third-year quarterback “had a few good days,” in response to McDaniel, after the concussion that knocked him out of the Thursday loss to the Bengals.
Tagovailoa, following the sack from Bengals nostril deal with Josh Tupou that drove his again after which his head to the turf from the whiplash, was carted off the sphere on a stretcher and brought to at College of Cincinnati medical amenities earlier than being launched late Thursday night time and touring again to South Florida with the workforce.
It was the second blow to the top that Tagovailoa took in 5 days. He additionally had the again of his head join with the turf within the Sept. 25 win in opposition to the Buffalo Payments at Exhausting Rock Stadium. Pushed on his again by Payments linebacker Matt Milano, Tagovailoa grabbed at his head, shook off cobwebs and stumbled as soon as he obtained up.
After he was checked by medical doctors on the sphere after which within the locker room on the two-minute warning of the primary half in opposition to Buffalo, Tagovailoa was cleared at halftime from concussion protocol and allowed to return within the second half. Following an preliminary workforce announcement of a head damage, Tagovailoa and McDaniel mentioned postgame that it was truly a again damage that triggered Tagovailoa to look woozy on the sphere.
The NFL Gamers Affiliation instantly initiated an investigation into the method of clearing Tagovailoa that Sunday. To date, whereas the investigation is ongoing, it has resulted within the Saturday termination of the unaffiliated neurotrauma marketing consultant assigned to the concussion verify, however the NFL and NFLPA launched a joint assertion that mentioned no conclusions about medical errors or protocol violations have been made.
McDaniel, on Monday, mentioned he stays assured within the workforce’s course of and every part concerned with how they approached the medical scenario in clearing the Dolphins quarterback for the second half of the Week 3 sport earlier than sending him again onto the sphere final Thursday.
“I can’t converse on what the league and, particularly, the union determined to do with that individual specialist,” McDaniel mentioned.
He additionally reacted to the approaching adjustments to shut loopholes permitting gamers that show “gross motor instability” again into video games by means of concussion protocol: “Transferring ahead, if it’s safer for one additional participant, then I’m all for it.”
Added exterior linebacker Jaelan Phillips: “That’s truthful. I believe it’s all the time higher to be overcautious in terms of, particularly head accidents.”
Gamers appeared to maneuver on over the weekend from watching their quarterback go down on Thursday.
“Clearly, simply seeing a participant get harm is rarely an excellent signal,” defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah mentioned. “We had an excellent observe [Monday]. Everybody was upbeat, up-tempo.”
Mentioned large receiver Tyreek Hill: “Tua’s superb. I’ve had an opportunity to speak to him on our off days. There’s actually nothing to speak about additional. Tua is okay. He’s in good fingers.”
Dolphins defensive deal with Christian Wilkins mentioned, though he felt for Tagovailoa, he didn’t essentially really feel it was a unclean play from Tupou, talking as a defensive lineman that understands the quickness with which that play develops.
Mentioned tight finish Mike Gesicki expressed confidence within the league’s medical protocols: “I do really feel snug with the league and what they do and the way they deal with issues. Clearly, security and participant security must be No. 1, and I believe that, for probably the most half, they deal with that.”
Whereas Tagovailoa is out, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will begin. He completed 14 of 23 for 193 yards, a landing and an interception after substituting for Tagovailoa on Thursday in Cincinnati.
“We’re very assured in Teddy Bridgewater,” McDaniel mentioned. “It’s one of many causes you determine to go that route in an offseason and prioritize your backup quarterback, is for these moments. We went out and signed him, and it’s been one of many higher issues that might’ve occurred to us for the workforce’s dynamics, for his contributions to how Tua’s enjoying and his capacity to play, in addition to his half within the growth of [rookie] Skylar [Thompson].”
The final time Bridgewater changed a starter as a backup, he was 5-0 main the New Orleans Saints after they have been with out Drew Brees in 2019. Bridgewater then went 4-11 with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 7-7 because the Denver Broncos’ starter final season.
Thompson shall be Bridgewater’s backup whereas Tagovailoa is out. The Dolphins, on Monday, additionally introduced again quarterback Reid Sinnett, signing him to the observe squad. Sinnett was a free agent after being launched from the Philadelphia Eagles’ observe squad on Sept. 7. Final October, Sinnett was acquired by Philadelphia off waivers from Miami.
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