Tua Tagovailoa's return to the starting lineup for the Miami Dolphins will have to wait at least another week.
Jacoby Brissett will start again for the Dolphins when they face the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium, as first reported by NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe and confirmed by a league source.
As was the case last Sunday before the game against the Houston Texans, the final decision was made only a few hours before kickoff to have Tagovailoa serve as a backup and to go with Brissett as the starting quarterback.
Brissett has faced the Ravens twice before in his NFL career, one time as a starter. That came in 2017 when he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts and completed 16 of 33 passes for 215 yards with one touchdown and no interception in a 23-16 loss.
Head coach Brian Flores said Tuesday that Tagovailoa continued to make progress in the aftermath of sustaining a broken middle finger on his left (throwing) hand in the Week 8 loss at Buffalo and that at the very least he would serve as the backup again if he had to miss a second consecutive start.
"He’s definitely making progress," Flores said. "Look, he’s got a fracture in the finger and there’s definitely discomfort. It’s getting better. The swelling is down. It’s getting better and progress from last week but there’s still some limitations for sure.”
Tagovailoa was listed as questionable for a second consecutive week on the final injury report after being listed as a limited participant for all three days of practice, the first two being walk-throughs.
Again, this mirrored what happened last Sunday when the decision was made in the morning that Tagovailoa wouldn't be starting.
“I think there’s a lot of things that go into that decision," Flores said. "Obviously, the health of the player No. 1 and whether or not Tua, in this instance, no different than last week, can do all the things we need him to do to have success in the game. Again, then there’s the short week and knowing there’s discomfort. There’s a lot that goes into it. We’ll always do what we feel is best for the team.
“It’s a medical decision. It’s a team decision. Obviously I have a lot of say in that. I always try to keep the team first. The health of the player obviously is at the forefront but also want to put the team in the best position.”
This is an important time for Tagovailoa, who likely needs a strong finish to the 2021 season to convince the Dolphins they're set at quarterback and don't need to try to make a move at the position next offseason.
To that end, Flores was asked Tuesday at what point he needed to factor durability in any player evaluation.
“Obviously availability is very important," Flores said. "There are a lot of factors that play into that. You mentioned it, some of them are fluky. That’s not the only factor. It’s the person, the player, the talent. I think Tua is competitive. He’s smart. He wants to be out there. I think he’s getting better. I think we all know that in order to continue to get better, you’ve got to be out there and get the experience. I think he’ll get that. I think this is another bump in the road for him. He’ll get through it and he’ll be fine.”
This will be Tua's fifth missed start of the season. He missed three games when he was injured reserve with a rib injury he sustained in the Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. Tagovailoa missed one start with an injury as a rookie in 2020 when he had to sit out the road game against the New York Jets because of a thumb issue.
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November 12, 2021 at 07:08AM
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Tua To Miss Another Start - DolphinMaven
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