Former NFL Doctor weighs in on Tua Tagovailoa injury

Tua Tagovailoa is expected to miss at least three weeks. On Saturday, he was placed on the Injured Reserve, meaning he will have to miss at least three games.

A former NFL head doctor thinks missing three games could be the minimum for the second-year quarterback. David J. Chao took to Twitter to explain his prognosis.

“It is true that ribs are either play thru like Amari Cooper with rib block or out multiple weeks,” he wrote.

Cooper, a receiver with the Cowboys, injured his ribs in Week 2 against the Rams. After being listed as questionable early in the week, he is expected to start Monday night against the Eagles.

Tagovailoa took a shot to the rib area from AJ Epenesa against the Bills and was reportedly in a lot of pain after the game. He tried to return, but the staff would not let him. He had gone 1-for-4 with 13 yards at that point, and he had already been sacked twice.

“He’s getting a little better every day,” Miami head coach Brian Flores said before it was announced Tagovailoa was going on Injured Reserve. “We’re kind of in this day-to-day space. We’ll have a little bit more time to make a decision, to gather some more information.”

The Dolphins have been forced to move on without him for the time being. They’re starting Jacoby Brissett on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders. In relief of Tagovailoa, the backup was was 24 for 40, passing for 140 yards and an interception.

Tua Tagovailoa rookie season

The No. 5 overall pick by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, he played in 10 games as a rookie and threw for 11 touchdowns with a 64.1% competition percentage. In a Week 1 win over the Patriots, he was 16 of 27 for a touchdown and interception along with 202 yards. 

He was overshadowed by Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow as a rookie. But Tagovailoa still put together a solid campaign, especially considering he never had an offseason between the COVID-19 pandemic and recovering from his hip injury. 

Tagovailoa arrived on the scene at Alabama in the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship game. The true freshman entered the game in the second half, replacing Jalen Hurts and engineered a comeback against Georgia. He finished the game with three touchdowns and 14-of-26 for 166 passing yards.

His final season in Tuscaloosa was overshadowed by his dislocated hip, an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He ultimately entered the NFL Draft, ending his career at Alabama. 

The native of Hawaii is part of Alabama’s quarterback renaissance, joining Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones as Crimson Tide signal-callers playing in the NFL.