Tua Tagovailoa injury update: Adam Schefter outlines steps needed for return to play in Week 8 vs. Cardinals

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has missed the last four games after suffering a concussion on Thursday Night Football. Now, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter says he’s close to being ready to return to action for Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.

While making an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter shared an injury update on Tagovailoa and outlined what it’s going to take for him to return to the field.

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“Basically, he’s gotta still clear through concussion protocol this week,” Adam Schefter said. “He has to go through the rules of the protocol, what the league has put in place. Saying all of that, he is tracking to play Sunday against the Cardinals if there are no setbacks.”

Throughout his playing career, Tagovailoa has suffered several concussions, including one at Alabama and multiple concussions while playing in the NFL. Those injuries have led to some concern about his long-term health. However, Schefter made it clear that through conversations with his doctors, Tagovailoa has not been dissuaded from playing again.

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“Basically, he was symptom-free even after he suffered that concussion on Thursday Night Football against Buffalo,” Schefter said. “He’s been symptom-free. He’s met with neurologists. He’s met with other new neurologists. He’s met with neurologists he’s met with before in Pittsburgh, other — I don’t think he’s heard anything that has dissuaded him from his goal of wanting to get back to playing football. This is the week he’s expected to return to practice. This is the week he’ll have to clear through the protocol, the final steps, and if and when he does that, I don’t know why he wouldn’t be out there next Sunday against Arizona.”

At that point, McAfee followed up with Schefter, asking for clarity about what happened in Tagovailoa’s meetings with doctors that led him to be confident to play without them clearing him to play.

“I don’t know the inner workings of those meetings but I know this, that they go over all the information, all the tests, they lay out all the scenarios,” Schefter said. “My understanding is that he hasn’t heard anything to dissuade him to make him not want to play football. He wants to continue playing football and, listen, he’s been through serious injuries, they should never be dismissed. I don’t think he’s dismissing them. I think he has a realistic look at them, but again, I don’t think he’s heard something that would make him say, ‘Boy, I’m not going out there and playing on Sunday.'”

In Miami’s four games without Tagovailoa, they’ve gone 1-3, only beating a struggling New England Patriots team. During that stretch, the Dolphins are averaging just 10 points per game.