The Miami Dolphins have no timeline for when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be able to even think about returning from his latest concussion, but they did make a roster move on Tuesday that guarantees that he will miss at least the next few games.
According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Dolphins have placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve. It is a move that will sideline him for at least the next four games.
That means the earliest he could potentially return to the lineup would be their Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his third confirmed concussion in Thursday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, renewing concerns about his health and long-term future in the NFL. In the immediate aftermath of the injury there have been calls for Tagovailoa to consider retirement after he also suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 NFL season.
During his time on IR, it is expected that Tagovailoa will seek outside medical advice on what his next steps should be. Placing him on IR also removes the distraction of what his game-day status might be for at least the next month.
In his place, the Dolphins will turn to backup Skylar Thompson to start.
The 26-year-old Tagovailoa is in his fifth season with the Dolphins and signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension with the team back in July.
When healthy, he is a strong fit in head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense and has helped Miami become one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league. The concussion issues, however, have become an unavoidable concern for both the team and himself.