By james art By Alanis Thames, Associated Press
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will play against the Cardinals on Sunday. It’s his first start since suffering a concussion in Week 2.
The Dolphins designated Tagovailoa to return to practice on Monday after he spent about a month on injured reserve after suffering the third concussion of his NFL career on Sept. 12.
Tagovailoa has since met with multiple medical experts who believe it is safe for him to play football again, according to the team. He had to clear the NFL’s five-step return-to-play process, which came after he participated in practice and made contact without showing any concussion symptoms.
Tagovailoa was examined after Thursday’s practice by an independent neurological consultant, who cleared him to play Sunday, coach Mike McDaniel said.
“Words can’t describe how excited I am for all the players who have opportunities that I know they don’t take for granted,” McDaniel said Friday. “It’s very exciting from a human perspective as a coach of this team.”
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion when he collided with Buffalo Bills linebacker Damar Hamlin while running for a first down and initiated the contact by dropping his shoulder toward Hamlin instead of sliding. Tagovailoa said Monday that he has been symptom-free for a day after being diagnosed with the concussion.
He’s had a history of head injuries since entering the NFL after being diagnosed with two concussions in 2022 and suffered another nasty hit to the head this season that led to changes in the NFL’s concussion rules.
Tagovailoa has traveled the country over the past month, meeting with numerous medical experts who have spoken candidly with him about his concussion history, the Dolphins said. Not a single doctor advised him to retire.
Tagovailoa said he will not wear the Guardian Cap – an additional protective soft shell on the helmet – due to “personal choice”. Tagovailoa now wears a quarterback-specific helmet designed to help reduce head injuries.