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As the Miami Dolphins prepare to close out the regular season with a crucial game against the New York Jets on Sunday, they’ll be doing so without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa written into the game plan.
Tagovailoa entered concussion protocol for the second time this season following the Dolphins' Week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers hugs Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins on the field after the game at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed this ahead of last week’s game against the New England Patriots, adding that Tagovailoa was day-to-day in his recovery and the focus was on his health and not getting him back on the field.
During a press conference with the media on Monday, McDaniel said the game plan would be made with the anticipation that Tagovailoa would miss another week.
"There’s a lot of variables that are going on. I think for me right now, I’m preparing for both Skylar (Thompson) and Teddy (Bridgewater). I think it’s too soon to know anything about Teddy," McDaniel said of Bridgewater who suffered a finger injury on his right hand in the Dolphins' fifth straight loss.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hands off to running back Jeff Wilson Jr. during the New England Patriots game on Jan. 1, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"And with Tua, like I said, I haven’t even thought about playing status. It is about him getting healthy each and every day, so I can’t really even factor him into any sort of equation until we’re ready to broach that."
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He continued: "It’s just really a situation of at this point in the week, Monday and Tuesday in game prep, I’ll be preparing for both Skylar and Teddy and then proceed as the week progresses pretty much."
The Dolphins could still make the playoffs with a win on Sunday and depending on the Buffalo Bills results against the Patriots in Week 18, but McDaniel said there’s no timeline on Tagovailoa’s return, regardless of Miami's playoff status.
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa takes the field before the Green Bay Packers game at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
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"I know one thing for sure that specifically as mandated, I haven’t had a discussion with Tua about when he’s playing, because again, once the picture was painted very clearly that anything but what we’re doing that day, making his recovery worse for him as a human being."
He added: "... from his head coach to the player, no timeline has been discussed with intent. Again, no idea about any sort of when, if, why, how with regard to Tua. It is a day-to-day process, really, that is most important that we adhere to, and that’s just getting him better each and every day and getting him healthy as a person. I don’t really have a timeline unfortunately."
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