Since suffering a head injury in Week 2 against the Bills, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has remained out and in recovery.
In that matchup, Tagovailoa took a big hit from Bills safety Damar Hamlin as he was scrambling up the middle, and the Miami quarterback remained on the field for some time before leaving the contest.
Soon after, the Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve, and he's been sidelined since.
With Miami now approaching a Week 7 matchup against the Colts, here's what to know about Tagovailoa's recovery timeline and if he will be able to return to action in 2024.
MORE: Tua Tagovailoa concussion history | What is 'fencing posture?' | Tua Tagovailoa contract details
What is Tua Tagovailoa's injury?
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion. Because it's the third official concussion of his career, it's a more serious situation, and it's held the quarterback out of action longer than a first-time concussion generally would.
League-wide concern for Tagovailoa grew after the Week 2 injury, with some media members, players and coaches even suggesting that he should retire from football due to the amount of head injuries he's sustained.
However, not long after Tagovailoa was placed on IR, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the quarterback had no intention of retiring and was focused on his return to the field.
From @NFLGameDay: #Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say. He’s already begun seeing concussion specialists and will continue to do so, but there is no timeline to return. Tua will be back when he and his doctors deem him healthy and ready. pic.twitter.com/Cc6aQI8HcZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2024
Since the team's Week 2 loss to the Bills where Tagovailoa went down, Miami is 1-2. At quarterback, the Dolphins have leaned on a combination of Skylar Thompson, who's also dealing with injury issues, and Tyler Huntley, who led the team to a 15-10 win over the Patriots in Week 5.
NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule
How long is Tua Tagovailoa out?
Tagovailoa is first eligible to return from IR in Week 8 against the Cardinals, but his recovery could last longer than that.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that the team expects Tagovailoa to be able to play again in the 2024 season but didn't have an exact timetable as to when that would be.
Mike McDaniel says for the first time that he expects Tua Tagovailoa to play football again in 2024 pic.twitter.com/7dHx44D9JR
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 14, 2024
Until Tagovailoa is fully cleared for play and both he and the team are comfortable with his return to the field, the Dolphins will be relying on their other quarterbacks to lead the offense. Based on McDaniels' updates this week, though, Tagovailoa could be back in action this season.
WEEK 7 POWER RANKINGS: Lions, Packers, Steelers and Bears all rise
How long does the NFL concussion protocol last?
In order to be medically cleared, there are multiple steps a player must go through after a concussion. Time in the concussion protocol varies by the severity of the injury, so it can all be different on a case-by-case basis.
Below are the steps a player has to go through in the NFL to return to the field after a concussion.
Symptom limited activity
In this step, players are told to rest. They're supposed to limit, or avoid, any physical or cognitive activities that would re-aggravate their symptoms. Under team training staff supervision, they can then begin to do limited stretching and aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise
Players begin with gradually increasing cardio exercises, stretching and balance training under trainer supervision.
Football-specific exercise
Cardio exercises are increased and can mimic "sport-specific activities," and strength training is introduced.
By this stage, players are also able to work with the team in limited fashion (up to 30 minutes) with monitoring.
Club-based non-contact training drills
Continuing with their cardio exercises, strength training and football-specific exercises from before, players add non-contact football activities like throwing, catching and running in the fourth stage.
Full football activity/clearance
Players must be examined and cleared by the independent neurological consultant assigned to the team, and if cleared, they can fully practice or play again.
Dolphins schedule 2024
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | at Colts | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 8 | Oct. 27 | vs. Cardinals | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | at Bills | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 10 | Nov. 11 | at Rams | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs. Raiders | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | vs. Patriots | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | at Packers | 8:20 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | vs. Jets | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 15 | at Texans | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | vs. 49ers | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | Dec. 29 | at Browns | 8:20 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| 18 | Jan. 5 | at Jets | TBD | TBD |
