Dolphins hope to open QB Tua Tagovailoa’s 21-day practice window before Week 8

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion on Sept. 12 during a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It was his first diagnosed concussion since suffering two during the 2022 season.

With plenty of time to weigh his short- and long-term future, Tagovailoa has seen countless experts and specialists to help guide the decision he and his family have made to continue playing, according to Rapoport.

Mike McDaniel said earlier this week that he expects Tagovailoa to return to the game in 2024, but the Dolphins head coach has continued to keep the 26-year-old’s health at the forefront of all football decisions with the help of ‘medical experts.

“It’s exciting that I think he’s going to play football this year,” McDaniel said Monday. “I never went down that rabbit hole of whether or not I would, just because I’ve learned through circumstance what the wrong question is to ask. The right questions are completely, 100 percent human and the player as a result.”

Given Tagovailoa’s history with head injuries, his return isn’t just a matter of clearing concussion protocol before returning to action. Returning to the practice field this coming week will be a big step in that process, which bodes well for rigorous monitoring along the way.

After a Week 6 bye, the Dolphins (2-3) return to action Sunday with a road game against the Indianapolis Colts. If all goes well after that, they could follow through with their franchise QB under center.