Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the final hurdle for his return to action.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback passed through concussion protocol on Friday, putting him on a path to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Mike McDaniel told reporters.
"After going through the process and having a practice where we were able to initiate some contact with him," McDaniel said, "and then he met with an independent doctor and was fully cleared. He was out of the protocol."
The news was expected after Tagovailoa got in a full workload at practice on Thursday. Miami has been optimistic about the QB's return from his latest concussion. He's officially listed as questionable and expected to be activated off IR before Sunday's tilt.
McDaniel reiterated that Tagovailoa met with a "laundry list" of medical experts as part of the protocol and "zero of them recommended" that Tagovailoa retire from football.
"He's done an outstanding job of not doing anything but controlling what he can control," McDaniel said of Tagovailoa's recovery. "So in that, he's put his best foot forward to take care of himself as well as to be the leader of this football team, just in a different way. In all of that, he's been fully engaged, but he's also become very aware that he is not interested in becoming a coach anytime soon, that his love is playing football.
"He's eager as everybody is. If you had any questions about how valuable he is, I think it's pretty obvious."
The Dolphins offense has gone in the tank since the starting QB was injured in Week 2. McDaniel's club went 1-3 without Tua, scoring 40 total points -- 10 points per game.
On the season, the Dolphins have the last-ranked scoring offense (11.7 PPG), which would be the lowest PPG by the franchise all-time (15.2 in 1966, Miami's first year as a franchise). Last year, the Dolphins averaged 29.2 PPG, second in the NFL.
In Tagovailoa's stead, the Dolphins used three quarterbacks: Skylar Thompson (one start), Tyler Huntley (three starts) and Tim Boyle. Thompson went down with a rib injury in Week 3. Huntley exited Week 7 due to a shoulder injury and is not expected to be available in Week 8. Miami also inked veteran C.J. Beathard to the practice squad this week.
McDaniel did not say Friday whether Thompson, Boyle or Beathard will back up Tagovailoa.
"I'm pretty sure I know who it is," McDaniel said, "but I want to make. After this practice, I think we'll know with absolute certainty, but I need to let the full work week play out before I stamp it."
Despite missing the past four games, Tagovailoa remains the only Dolphins player with two-plus pass touchdowns in 2024 -- he has two passing TDs. Huntley (1) is the only other Miami player to have a pass TD this season.
Miami hopes that Tua's return jumpstarts the offense and keeps its hope alive for a postseason run in the final 11 weeks.
