When Tua Tagovailoa came back to the field after a concussion that put him in the hospital briefly in 2022, he scrambled in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers and made contact by lowering his shoulder into a defender.
Coach Mike McDaniel later mentioned that Tagovailoa came to him on the sideline and said he “needed that” contact after being out due to his head injury.
However, as Tagovailoa gets ready to start on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals for his first game back from another concussion, McDaniel’s message is quite different.
“My answer would be: ‘You don’t need that one’ this time around,” he said, emphasizing the importance of Tagovailoa being careful about how he protects himself on the field.
Medical experts have cleared Tagovailoa to play football again after he had a concussion in Week 2.
Tagovailoa’s scrambling has been a topic of conversation with his teammates since his latest concussion, which happened when he made contact with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin instead of sliding.
“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better.”
The Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray, whose ability to scramble is a big part of his game because of his speed and quickness. He ranks third among NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards and scored a 44-yard rushing touchdown in Arizona’s Week 7 win over the Chargers.
“We certainly have to account for that,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “He is so special from a speed standpoint. You could be perfect, and you think you have an angle, and he’s going to outrun you. … He looks like Tyreek (Hill) playing quarterback.”
While the Dolphins will try to control one of Murray’s best skills, they are looking to rely on Tagovailoa’s strengths to boost their struggling offense.
“He’s going to be accurate; the ball will be easy to catch, nice and soft in your hands, on time, all of that,” Hill said. “It’s going to be sharp, so it’s expected.”
Murray mentioned that it can be hard to quickly decide whether to stay in the pocket to throw or run, admitting he missed an open Marvin Harrison Jr. on a play where he chose to scramble.
He also noted that defenses feel challenged by his ability to make plays with his legs.
“I don’t think that defenses like playing a mobile quarterback, no,” Murray said. “I’d rather play a guy that can’t move.”
