Miami Dolphins Quarterback Toa Tagoviloa A source said he was cleared of concussion protocol on Saturday, but will not play this week against the Minnesota Vikings.
A source said Tagovailoa is expected to return for the Dolphin’s week seven game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tagoviloa has not played since leaving the field on a stretcher after suffering a concussion in week four when he was rotated to the ground and hit his head on the grass. Those tackles were similar to those a week earlier, after which Tagovailoa appeared uneasy on his feet but was allowed to return to the match after clearing concussion tests.
After Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in week four, the quarterback and his team of independent doctors and Dolphins followed a comprehensive process that far exceeded the NFL’s concussion protocol, sources said. He got four outside opinions, as well as those of the team’s doctors, who unanimously cleared him of the protocol, and they all agreed that his scans showed no signs of a long-term effect on the brain. This is the best-case scenario for a midfielder who has been off to a great start to the 2022 season.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel dismissed Tagovailoa on Wednesday, saying he wasn’t comfortable making it active after spending two weeks without any football activity.
quarterback Teddy Bridgewater Sources said he was also cleared of the concussion protocol on Saturday. It will be active on Sunday, but it will support the novice Skylar Thompsona draft of the seventh round that will begin his first career.
Thompson completed 16 of 33 passes for 166 yards and a break-in interception for Bridgewater against the New York Jets last week, but his first NFL action involved returning to the sideline without any teammate playing his position waiting for him.
With Bridgewater expected to act as his backup on Sunday and Tagovailoa cruising on the sidelines, Thompson’s first start should have made a different feel.
“They helped me a lot,” Thompson said. “Whether they say something to me out loud to teach me something or otherwise, they have taught me so much through their actions and the way they act, the way they prepare. I am so grateful for these guys.”
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.
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