Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel on Wednesday announced that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been diagnosed with a concussion, sustained during last Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.
McDaniel also said the team is moving as if Teddy Bridgewater will start in Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots.
The NFL and NFL Players Association have launched a joint review into the circumstances surrounding Tagovailoa’s latest concussion, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.
“We welcome that review, and as we have done previously, we will report the results in conjunction with the NFLPA,” he said.
It’s the second joint investigation this season into the handling of a suspected head injury for Tagovailoa, who sustained his first diagnosed concussion and was carted off the field on a stretcher in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 29, four days after hitting his head and remaining in a game against Buffalo, sparking a review into his injury.
The league and players’ union announced that the league’s step-by-step protocol was followed but the protocol was altered, adding a new “no-go” symptom, ataxia, which would have kept Tagovailoa out of the Bills game and likely sidelined him for the Bengals game. Ataxia is an abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.
Tagovailoa, who has been diagnosed with a concussion for the second time this season, is inside the team’s practice facility but remains in concussion protocol, McDaniel said. McDaniel did not answer a question regarding where Tagovailoa stands in the five-step process to return to the field.
“He’s better than yesterday,” McDaniel said. “Beyond that, I feel like it’s weird to extrapolate beyond ‘good,’ which is what he tells me.”
Tagovailoa, who threw three fourth-quarter interceptions in the 26-20 loss, reported symptoms on Monday.
“We questioned him … and once we get some information back, we’re like, you need to go see the doctor,” McDaniel said. “… it was just there were some things that caused us to really prod and as a result, we felt like he needed to see medical professionals.”
McDaniel declined to answer whether he would hold out Tagovailoa for an extra week as a precaution or shut him down for the season, calling it “stuff that’s for medical professionals and Tua himself.”
The Dolphins are 8-7 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Patriots on Sunday and a New York Jets loss to the Seattle Seahawks. But the team will likely do so with Bridgewater under center and rookie Skylar Thompson serving as the backup. The Dolphins are 0-2 in games that Tagovailoa has not started this season.
TAGOVAILOVA HAS has a 4-0 career record against the Patriots, but the Miami QB will be replaced by Teddy Bridgewater for Sunday’s game. Bridgewater has never faced a Bill Belichick-coached defense. So what has Belichick seen from the veteran journeyman on tape?
“Yeah, I’ve always had a ton of respect for Teddy, liked Teddy. Good athlete, good arm, smart kid, athletic,” Belichick said. “He presents a lot of the same problems that Tua does.”
In four games this season, Bridgewater has completed 61.7% of his passes for 522 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Belichick indicated the Dolphins’ offense, which is designed to create run-after-catch opportunities for wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, has remained unchanged when Bridgewater is under center.
“I’d say it’s a high percentage of the offense,” Belichick said. “I’m sure there are things they would do specifically for one guy or the other, but generally speaking, it’s the (same) offense.”
Belichick also noted defending Bridgewater, a right-handed quarterback, will require the Patriots’ to tweak their preparations for past meetings with Tagovailoa, a lefty.
The Dolphins signed Bridgewater to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million last offseason. The 30-year-old passer started his career in Minnesota, where he made one Pro Bowl and led the Vikings to a playoff berth in 2015. A catastrophic knee injury cut his Minnesota stay short and led to ensuing stops in New York, New Orleans, Carolina, Denver and Miami.
This is an important game for both teams. With the AFC playoff picture coming into focus, the Dolphins (8-7) are hanging onto that seventh and final seed. The Patriots (7-8) are one game back and likely need to win their final two games against Miami and Buffalo to clinch a playoff spot.
“I can tell you one thing, the New England Patriots don’t care about our feelings,” Miami Coach Mike McDaniel told Miami reporters. “They’re very aware about that. I see a very focused and determined group that recognizes the opportunity within the adversity.”
PRACTICE REPORT: Cornerbacks Jalen Mills, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones were all missing from practice on Wednesday, as were tight end Jonnu Smith, wide receiver DeVante Parker and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste.
Mills, Parker and Jack Jones were holdover absences from last week, when they did not play against the Bengals. Parker hasn’t even practiced since getting concussed at Arizona on Dec. 12, when Mills missed his second of four straight games with a groin injury.
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