The Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the upcoming wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills. The news was confirmed by the Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel during a press conference on Wednesday.
Tagovailoa has been out since suffering a concussion, his second of the season, in a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Alabama product hasn’t been clear to take part in football activities since, prompting McDaniel to make this decision.
“He was an incredible part of the entire season,” McDaniel said. “I think eight of our wins were as a result of him playing quarterback, among the team, and that did not come because it was just gifted. That was a lot of work and preparation, so it’s very frustrating, much as a lot of things in life and football are.”
Tagovailoa has been playing on an MVP level early in the season, but his hot start was spoiled by a concussion in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He started 13 games in 2022 altogether, going 8–5 and throwing for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
With Tagovailoa out, the Dolphins will likely be forced to turn to third-string quarterback rookie Skylar Thompson. The team’s backup QB Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with a dislocated finger on his throwing hand and will most likely also be unavailable against the Bills.
