Tua Tagovailoa ‘expected to return’ as Miami Dolphins’ starting QB in 2023, not ruled out for playoffs: report
As Tua Tagovailoa continues to recover from his latest concussion, Adam Schefter reports that the former Alabama quarterback is expected to return as the Miami Dolphins’ starter for the 2023 season. Schefter added that Tagovailoa has not been ruled out from participating at some point in this year’s NFL postseason if Miami can pull off an upset victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday. Tagovailoa has not played since suffering his second concussion of the season on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers.
Tagovailoa initially suffered a concussion Sept. 29 against the Cincinnati Bengals, after which medical personnel carted him off the field and transported him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He returned after nearly one month of recovery to play in nine more games leading up to his second concussion. When healthy this season, Tagovailoa has posted career-best numbers with a completion rate of 64.8% to go with 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Miami is 8-5 in games during which Tagovailoa starts.
Miami selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after he starred at Alabama for three seasons. A 5-star recruit in the 2017 class out of Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis, Tagovailoa chose the Crimson Tide over USC, Oregon and others.
Tagovailoa took over as Alabama’s starter as a sophomore after sitting behind Jalen Hurts in 2017 and famously relieving Hurts at halftime of the College Football Playoff national championship that season, throwing the game-winning touchdown in overtime. His best season with the Tide came in 2018, when he completed 69.0% of his passes for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns against six interceptions as Alabama ran the table until it suffered a beatdown in the national title game against Clemson.
As a junior, Tagovailoa battled multiple injuries and played in just nine games. Mac Jones took over for him down the stretch, and Tagovailoa then entered the draft as a projected top-10 pick. Many experts projected Tagovailoa as the No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2019 campaign, but his injuries combined with a historic season by Joe Burrow made the LSU product the pick at No. 1 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Tom Brady, Derek Carr and Ryan Tannehill are among the quarterbacks who could have been available to the Dolphins this offseason had they decided to move on from Tagovailoa.
