The Miami Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns on December 29 without Tua Tagovailoa to stay alive in the AFC playoff race. Tagovailoa was aiming to play all week but ultimately missed the Browns matchup because of a hip injury.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the Week 17 win that it’s too early to say whether Tagovailoa will be able to play in the season finale versus the New York Jets. But McDaniel said Tagovailoa does not require surgery to repair the injury.
“Surgery is not currently on the table,” McDaniel told the media. “We had reasonable, hopeful expectations for his body and he absolutely had the same expectations.
“Ultimately, he’s super important to our team. It was not ideal in any way, shape or form to have a game like this and not have him available. But it was also, from a medical perspective, not an option for him to play.
“We’ll be hopeful for it as we progress.”
With the 20-3 victory over the Browns, the Dolphins improved to 8-8, including 2-3 without Tagovailoa, this season. Backup signal caller Tyler Huntley is 2-2 as Miami’s starting quarterback in 2024.
In Tagovailoa’s absence, Huntley completed 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards with 1 touchdown. He also led the Dolphins with 52 rushing yards versus the Browns.
Tua Tagovailoa Dealing With Hip Injury
McDaniel added in his Week 17 postgame press conference that Tagovailoa sustained his hip injury versus the Houston Texans on December 15. He played through the ailment on December 22 against the San Francisco 49ers. But one hit in the 49ers matchup made Tagovailoa’s hip worse.
A hip injury ended Tagovailia’s college career at Alabama. But if McDaniel delivered any other good news on December 29, it was that Tagovailoa’s current hip injury is not at all related to his ailment from college.
McDaniel explained that the day before facing the Browns, the Dolphins medical staff told the coaching staff that Tagovailoa’s hip had plateaued in its weekly recovery. That led to the team giving the Dolphins starting quarterback the doubtful injury designation on its final injury report.
“He absolutely wanted to play,” McDaniel said. “It wasn’t a pain tolerance thing.
“He not only was super susceptible to a much more significant injury based upon that injury if he were to fall in harms way, but a major factor was the lack of strength due to the injury.”
The other good news around Miami’s quarterbacks is the team appears to have finally found a capable backup. Huntley played very well in Tagovailoa’s absence.
So, if Tagovailoa is out for Week 18 as well, the Dolphins will still have a chance to beat the Jets. Huntley is 4-5 in his last nine NFL starts. This season, Huntley has 602 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, along with 119 rushing yards, in four games.
Dolphins’ 2024 Playoff Scenario
At 8-8, the Dolphins continue to cling to playoff hope. But they must win in Week 18, which is why Tagovailoa’s health remains an important topic.
While McDaniel hardly sounded confidence Tagovailoa would definitely dress versus the Jets, at least he has a chance to still play. Surgery would obviously kill any hope of Tagovailoa returning in Week 18 or for any potential playoff matchup.
In addition to beating the Jets, the Dolphins need the Denver Broncos to lose. The Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18, but with nothing to play for, the Chiefs may rest their starters.
The matchups for the Dolphins and Broncos in Week 18 will both kick off at 4:25 pm ET on January 5.
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Dolphins Get Good News on Tua Tagovailoa Injury: Report