Tua Tagovailoa will return to practice Wednesday with the Miami Dolphins and is targeting Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals to return as a player.
The Dolphins quarterback suffered his third official concussion in two seasons in Week 2 when he collided with Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills.
Now, according to El AtléticoThe 26-year-old is ready to return and feels good, despite concerns that his latest injury will end his career.
Tagovailoa also showed concussion symptoms in a fourth separate incident in the 2022 season, but was cleared to continue playing.
That day, he staggered after hitting the back of his head on the ground after taking a hard hit, also against the Bills. He returned with what the team said was a minor back injury.
Tua Tagovailoa plans to return with the Miami Dolphins in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals
The Dolphins quarterback was injured in a collision with Damar Hamlin in Week 2 of the season.
It’s the fourth major concussion scare of Tagovailoa’s career at age 26.
But four days later, Tagovailoa hit his head again playing against the Cincinnati Bengals and was knocked unconscious. He was taken off the field on a stretcher.
That same season, he suffered a concussion again in a Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers.
It went unnoticed at the time and was not reviewed during the game: Dolphins head coach Mike Daniels later revealed that alarm bells were set off when Tagovailoa did not remember certain parts of the game when watching tape the next day.
Tagovailoa was shut down for the rest of the season and admitted he considered leaving the game.
‘I considered it for a while,’ he admitted in 2023. ‘Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations. Really, it would be difficult for me to abandon this game.
‘It’s my health. It’s my body. I feel this is the best for me and my family. “I love football.”
The Dolphins are 2-3 on the season and have struggled without their No. 1 quarterback, suffering heavy losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans in recent weeks.
They face the Indianapolis Colts this weekend with Skylar Thompson at QB in what should be one last time before Tagovailoa returns.
