Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa clears concussion protocol and will start Sunday

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced Friday.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced Friday.

Tagovailoa has not played since Week 2 after he suffered a concussion in a Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills. Sunday’s game against the Cardinals will mark 45 days since Tagovailoa sustained the concussion, at least the third of his professional career.

"After going through the process and having a practice where we were able to initiate some contact with him, and then he met with the independent doctor, and was cleared protocol," coach Mike McDaniel said.

The quarterback also had two concussions during the 2022 season, and was suspected of having a third that year — a controversy that led the NFL to overhaul its protocol for sidelining players who are suspected of having a brain injury. Tagovailoa’s first recorded concussion of the 2022 season also happened in a Thursday night game and invoked a fencing response from him on the field.

Tagovailoa was asked Monday in a news conference what he would say to people who are concerned about him returning to play football.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/dolphins-qb-tua-tagovailoa-starting-rcna177305

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