The Miami Dolphins have announced that Tua Tagovailoa will be the starting quarterback in their 2024 Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals. The quarterback from Hawaii hasn’t played since Week 2 after undergoing concussion protocol.
The Dolphins have struggled without Tagovailoa, winning only two of their first six games while averaging a measly 11.6 points per game. Therefore, they will need the former Alabama standout to save their season, which is going nowhere with Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley behind center.
Dolphins announce QB Tua Tagovailoa will start week 8 vs. Arizona. pic.twitter.com/YAAnkTaQDe
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2024
Returning to action should frustrate those who are calling for his retirement after a third concussion incident in as many years. He underwent concussion protocol twice in 2022, with the first coming in Week 3 against the Bills. Coincidentally, it was also against the Bills in which he suffered the concussion that forced him to miss four games this season.
While Tagovailoa cleared his first concussion in 2022, he underwent the protocol again after their Week 16 Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers. Due to those concussions, he missed four regular-season games, and the Dolphins limped to a 9-8 record. However, he led the league in passer rating at 105.5
Tagovailoa bounced back with an impressive 2023 season, completing 388 passes for a league-leading 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns. Those numbers earned him his first Pro Bowl selection.
-Lance Fernandez