Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who entered the league's concussion protocol after his team's Christmas Day loss to the Green Bay Packers, remains in the protocol and will not play in the upcoming Pro Bowl, sources told Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.
Tua Tagovailoa, who was named a first-alternate Pro Bowler, was slated to replace either Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes or Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who are facing off in the AFC title game.
Louis-Jacques adds that Tagovailoa, whose concussion protocol process has been “deliberate”, did not suffer a setback.
The Dolphins signal-caller missed his team's final three games of the season, which ended in the Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills.
With a new offensive-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel and a new number-one receiver in Tyreek Hill, Tagovailoa put up the best numbers of his pro career, throwing for a career-best 3,548 yards and 25 touchdown passes.
But his strong statistical year was overshadowed by the concerning injuries he suffered.
Tua Tagovailoa suffered a “back injury” in a Week 3 game against the Bills, though he showed signs that he had suffered a concussion.
He was then slammed to the ground hard in a Week 4 Thursday Night Football game against the Bengals and went rigid before he was placed on a backboard.
His concussion against the Packers in December was his third of the year.
The NFL made changes to their concussion protocol as a result of Tagovailoa's injuries.
Understandably, there are questions about his football future.
However, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Tua Tagovailoa will be the team's starter in 2023.
Miami has a May 1 deadline to exercise the fifth-year option on Tagovailoa's contract.
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