How long is Tua Tagovailoa out? Why Dolphins QB isn’t playing ‘MNF’

Tua Tagovailoa achieved something few thought he could during the 2023 NFL season: He managed to stay healthy for the full year and helped lead the Miami Dolphins to a second consecutive playoff appearance.

That injury luck did not follow him into the 2024 NFL season.

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Miami’s 31-10 Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was scrambling for yardage when he collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin and immediately appeared to be hurt when he fell to the ground.

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The concussion was Tagovailoa’s fourth known one at the NFL level and has called into question whether he should continue playing because of his injury woes. His future in Miami remains murky, though the 26-year-old has expressed that he would like to keep playing football.

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Here’s what to know about Tagovailoa’s injury status for “Monday Night Football” in Week 4 and a timetable for his potential return to the Dolphins.

Is Tua Tagovailoa playing tonight?

Tagovailoa will not play in the Dolphins’ Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans on “Monday Night Football.” The fifth-year quarterback suffered a concussion in Week 2 and was placed on IR as a result of the injury.

Skylar Thompson started in place of Tagovailoa during the Dolphins’ 24-3 Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He suffered a rib injury during that contest and had to leave, so Miami may have to trust one of its recent signees – Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley – to start against the Titans.

How long is Tua Tagovailoa out?

Tagovailoa will be out through at least Week 7, as he was placed on IR ahead of Week 3 and must miss a minimum of four games because of that designation. The Dolphins are on bye in Week 6, so the earliest that Tagovailoa could return to action is in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.

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Mike McDaniel acknowledged that the decision to place Tagovailoa on IR was so that there wouldn’t be any pressure to make a hasty decision about the oft-injured quarterback’s status.

“The great thing about IR is there’s – for a month’s time, there’s no timelines,” McDaniel said before Week 3, per ESPN. “I always say that, but I’m not sure that people quite understand; if you set a timeline based upon the information you have today, how much of whatever goes on is fulfilling the prophecy of that timeline? And is that the right thing? Especially with competitors and stuff, sometimes you can do more harm than good.

“Not worrying about anything as it relates to timelines is very empowering for him as a human being to recover from injury, and that’s steadfast the only motivating factor that you have when you’re dealing with players and their careers and their injuries.”

With that in mind, it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins will give a concrete update about Tagovailoa’s potential return any time soon. So, while he is eligible to return for Week 8, it seems more likely that the team will evaluate him on a week-by-week basis.