Coach Mike McDaniel announced on Friday that the Miami Dolphins will not set a specific timeline for Tua Tagovailoa’s recovery from the concussion he suffered during their 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. McDaniel emphasized that the team’s primary focus is on Tagovailoa’s health rather than his return to the field. He stated, “First and foremost, I’m not assessing the injury through the lens of, ‘Alright, so what does this mean for him playing?’ Really, for me, I know the facts are that it’s important that he gets healthy day by day, and in that, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint.”
Tagovailoa has a history of concussions dating back to the 2022 season, during which he missed a total of seven games, including a playoff match, due to head injuries. With Tagovailoa out, Skylar Thompson is expected to take over as the Dolphins’ quarterback, starting with their game against Seattle on September 22.
In terms of fantasy projections, Tagovailoa is entering his fifth season with the Dolphins. Despite leading the league in passing yards last season with 4,624 yards and achieving a completion rate of 69.3%, he has not yet reached elite fantasy status. After a strong start to the 2023 season, his performance became inconsistent, with only two games surpassing 20 fantasy points and seven games falling below 15 points. This inconsistency was partly due to the rise of the Dolphins’ running game, featuring Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. While Tagovailoa benefits from having top receivers like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, his lack of rushing ability limits his fantasy potential. With a similar supporting cast in 2024, Tagovailoa is expected to be more valuable as a QB2 rather than a QB1 in fantasy leagues.
