Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the practice field Wednesday, but it'll be on a limited basis as he continues to work his way through concussion protocol, according to NFL insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapaport. While Tagovailoa could be cleared from concussion protocol before Sunday's Week 6 game against the Minnesota Vikings, he's unlikely to play.
Tagovailoa was sent to the hospital with a concussion on Sept. 29 after taking a hard hit against the Cincinnati Bengals. The situation caused an uproar after the Dolphins quarterback looked like he was concussed the game before against the Buffalo Bills. He was allowed to return to that game because it was determined he was dealing with a back issue and not a concussion. The situation started an intense dialogue over the handling of concussions, and there were recent concussion protocol changes put in place.
In a rather sick twist, Miami had to deal with concussion protocol again last week with Teddy Bridgewater, who left the loss to the New York Jets right at the beginning of the game and didn't return. While Bridgewater passed concussion tests and reportedly didn't show symptoms, he wasn't allowed to return because a spotter saw him stumble after taking a big hit. This was part of the revised concussion rules, and it's still unclear if Bridgewater will play against Minnesota.
Tua Tagovailoa has reportedly consulted with four independent specialists as he rehabs, and he ramped up cardio and strength training this past weekend. Now he'll begin throwing again as he enters the “non-contact sports-specific activity” part of the concussion protocol.