The Dolphins have dealt with many injury issues at the quarterback position in 2022, and it appears they have another major one entering an important Week 17 clash with the Patriots.
Top quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with the after-effects of his second concussion of the season. That makes it unlikely for him to start against the Patriots, and it will throw his status for the rest of the season into question.
As it stands, not much is known about Tagovailoa's status. He is in the NFL's concussion protocol and the Dolphins will be approaching his potential return with caution, especially since the NFLPA is investigating the fact that Tagovailoa's concussion wasn't discovered in-game.
But could Tagovailoa work toward a quick clearance from the NFL's concussion protocol? It at least remains possible.
Below is what we know to date about Tagovailoa's status, including how long he is out and what the Dolphins' plans are as long as he is sidelined.
MORE: Latest injury update, news about Tua Tagovailoa's concussion
How long is Tua Tagovailoa out with a concussion?
It isn't yet clear exactly how long Tagovailoa will be out after he suffered a concussion in Week 16 against the Packers. The NFL has a stringent concussion protocol that must be followed for Tagovailoa to be cleared to return to action.
Tagovailoa's Week 16 concussion is his second of the season, though many believe he should have also been in concussion protocol after he was staggered in Week 4 against the Bills.
Still, Tagovailo's first official concussion of the season came on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 5 against the Bengals. He took a fencing posture after being tackled by nose tackle Josh Tupou and was taken to the hospital before flying home with the team.
Tagovailoa missed two games as a result of that concussion. He will miss at least one after the hit he took against the Packers, as Teddy Bridgewater is preparing to start in his place against the Patriots.
That will give Tagovailoa extra time to recover before the Dolphins' Week 18 game against the Jets, which could be a win-and-in scenario for them.
Still, coach Mike McDaniel wouldn't promise that Tagovailoa will be healthy enough to play by then.
"I’ll do what the medical experts advise me to," McDaniel said, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "I’m quite certain they’re not going to advise me in the wrong direction when it comes to his health."
MORE: Aaron Rodgers encourages Tua Tagovailoa to "consider shutting it down"
Tua Tagovailoa concussion protocol updates
Dec. 28: The NFLPA initiates an investigation into Tagovailoa's concussion. This marks the second time that the NFL and Dolphins are set to be investigated due to head injuries to the third-year quarterback.
The last investigation into the Dolphins found no faults but led to enhanced concussion protocol across the league.
The last joint review surrounding Tua in October found no violations, but led to enhancements to the concussion protocol. Now, Tua is in protocol again and the process begins again.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 28, 2022
Dec. 28: McDaniel announces that Tagovailoa does have a concussion, his second of the season. That puts Teddy Bridgewater in line to start against the Patriots in Week 17.
Dec. 27: Many NFL players encourage Tagovailoa to sit out the rest of the season after being placed into concussion protocol again. That includes Aaron Rodgers, who said the following on "The Pat McAfee Show":
It's probably time to maybe consider shutting it down. I don't know if that's going to be in the thought process. As a competitor that's the last thing you want. But at some point you do start thinking about your cognitive function later in life, and the after effects you might be dealing with.
Dec. 26: Tagovailoa self-reports concussion symptoms to the Dolphins' medical staff. He is placed into the NFL's concussion protocol.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel says its unclear whether Tagovailoa has a concussion but his status for Week 17 against the Patriots is in doubt.
Dec. 25: Tagovailoa first suffers an apparent head injury in the Dolphins' loss to the Packers. He was able to finish the game but struggled in the second half after he slammed his head on the turf.
Saw this live. And I recorded it because I knew as soon as I saw it. This happened late in the 1st half. And I believe Tua played 2nd half with a concussion. His head bounced off the ground. And it was very similar to the hit in Cincinnati. 3 INTs in the 4th qtr. proved it to me. pic.twitter.com/Djl0xkGToX
— Michael Williams (@SelfMade0602) December 25, 2022
The injury went unnoticed by Miami's medical staff and the independent neurotrauma consultant the NFL has on hand at each contest.
MORE: Robert Griffin III, others weigh in on Tua Tagovailoa's status, potential shutdown
Who is the Dolphins backup QB?
Teddy Bridgewater is currently the backup quarterback for the Dolphins. The 30-year-old veteran is on his fourth team in the last four seasons and was brought in to serve as quality depth behind Tagovailoa.
Bridgewater has started 64 games during his career and has a 33-31 record with 74 touchdowns compared to 46 interceptions. He has played sparingly across four games with the Dolphins and has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 522 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Bridgewater has made just one start with Miami. That came in Week 5 against the Jets. He threw just one pass — an incompletion — in that contest before he was ruled out because of the NFL's concussion protocol.
MORE: Revisiting the Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa vs. Justin Herbert draft day decision
Dolphins QB depth chart
Below is a look at the Dolphins' quarterback depth chart, which has included that same three players for a majority of the 2022 NFL season:
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Tua Tagovailoa |
| 2 | Teddy Bridgewater |
| 3 | Skylar Thompson |
Tagovailoa is the team's top quarterback when healthy, and he leads the NFL in passer rating with a mark of 105.5. As mentioned, the veteran Bridgewater is his primary backup and he is expected to start in place of Tagovailoa against the Patriots.
Thompson was a seventh-round draft pick by the Dolphins out of Kansas State. He has appeared in five games thanks to injuries to Tagovailoa and Bridgewater and made one start, a loss against the Vikings in Week 6.
Thompson has completed 52.8 percent of his passes for 278 yards and two interceptions. He will serve as the backup behind Bridgewater as long as Tagovailoa is out of action.
Reid Sinnett has also spent time on the Miami practice squad during the 2022 season. Should Bridgewater or Thompson get banged up, he would probably be the team's first call to add another member to their depth chart.
