Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to miss his second consecutive game when the Dolphins play the New York Jets on Sunday, a game that has playoff implications, according to coach Mike McDaniel. Backup quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley will start again after stepping in for Tagovailoa and leading the team to a win last week.
Tagovailoa is still recovering from a right hip injury he suffered against Houston on December 15 and aggravated in a game against San Francisco the following week.
McDaniel said that based on how the week went, it’s unlikely Tagovailoa will be able to play. “I see it as unlikely that Tua will see any action,” McDaniel said. He added that Huntley took more practice reps than Tagovailoa during the week.
Tagovailoa expressed his frustration on Friday, saying it’s tough for any competitor to sit out when the season is on the line. However, he trusts Huntley to take the lead.
“It’s tough for any competitor to have to sit out when the season’s on the line and you know you can do more. But that just tells you how much trust and respect we have for Snoop,” Tagovailoa said.
Huntley had an impressive performance last week, completing 22 of 26 passes for 225 yards, with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown against Cleveland.
While Tagovailoa has made some progress with the injury, McDaniel mentioned that it hadn’t healed as quickly as the team hoped. He had not been cleared to play last week and it was deemed unsafe for him to take the field.
When asked about the risk of further damage, Tagovailoa said he wasn’t sure if it could get worse but noted the doctors advised against playing to avoid further harm. “I don’t know if anything could be worse than what it is right now,” Tagovailoa said, “but — I don’t know.
This is just what the doctors are telling me is right for myself, and things of that nature. But I want to be out there. That’s for sure. But it’s just a risk for myself to be out there.”
McDaniel explained that Tagovailoa’s injury is different from something like a bruise, which is more about pain tolerance. He said it’s more of a muscle issue and that Tagovailoa’s bone is intact.
McDaniel clarified that surgery wouldn’t solve the problem. He stated that the solution is to stop aggravating the injury and focus on regaining strength and stability. “It’s not a surgical solution,” McDaniel said. “It is a ‘stop aggravating this by pushing through’ and try to regain some security and strength.”
Tagovailoa will end the regular season with 11 starts, his fewest since his rookie year, when he started 9 games. He threw for 2,867 yards, completing 72.9% of his passes, with 19 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Tagovailoa has only played one full season, which was in 2023. In that season, he led the NFL in passing yards with 29 touchdowns and earned a four-year, $212 million contract extension in the offseason.
Earlier this season, Tagovailoa missed four games due to a concussion sustained in a scramble against Buffalo in Week 2. He had two concussions in 2022, one of which caused him to briefly lose consciousness, resulting in four missed games and a playoff game. In 2021, he fractured several ribs against Buffalo in Week 2 and missed the next three games.
Tagovailoa said that during the offseason, he will focus on ways to better protect himself to stay available for more games. “Obviously the concussions have been a thing,” he said, “and then off that, other injuries that have stacked up with the concussions to where I’m missing games.
It’s frustrating. That’s the frustrating part. That’s something to take into consideration for myself, for the team and just moving forward to stay available for more than one season. That’s for sure.”
