Report: Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa placed on IR after concussion; out at least 4 weeks | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly placing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the injured list after he suffered a concussion during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the decision was made “to allow him adequate time to progress through the various phases of the concussion protocol and meet with outside neurologists.”

That means Tagovailoa won’t be able to return until Week 8, at the earliest against the Arizona Cardinals. However, Garafolo explained that “the Dolphins don’t want to put a timetable on him as he goes through a thoughtful process and can ultimately play again.”

Injuries have once again become the central storyline of Tagovailoa’s season after he left the Week 2 game with a concussion, the third time in the past three seasons he has been diagnosed with a concussion. This time, it appeared he was temporarily knocked unconscious on the field after a collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

“Crushed. I hate to see him like that,” Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson told reporters at the time. “Even with his history with that kind of stuff, I hate to see it. I hate that he stormed out of the pocket. I wish I could get that back for all of us. I could have been better.”

In the 2022 season, Tagovailoa hit his head on the floor against the Bills and was seen limping back to the huddle and briefly leaving the game, though he was eventually cleared to return with what was believed to be a back injury. The situation quickly gained widespread attention, with speculation that a concussion was undiagnosed, and the NFL fired the independent neurological consultant who approved his return to play.

Four days later, Tagovailoa was knocked unconscious in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and diagnosed with a concussion. He missed two games before returning to action, but suffered another in a late December game against the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

His concussion against the Bills this season led to public discussion about whether Tagovailoa should consider retirement, though reporting at the time suggested he had no plans to do so. But there will be an added layer of scrutiny and attention given his history.

Skylar Thompson is expected to start in his absence.