Tua Tagovailoa's impending return is about to enter its initial step.
The Miami Dolphins are expecting to open Tagovailoa's practice window this upcoming week, giving him 21 days to practice in anticipation of a return, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources.
Rapoport added that if all goes well, the hope is Tagovailoa will be back under center for Week 8's matchup against the visiting Arizona Cardinals, his first week of eligibility to return from injured reserve.
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion on Sept. 12 during a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It was his first diagnosed concussion since suffering two during the 2022 season.
With ample time to weigh his short- and long-term future, Tagovailoa has seen countless experts and specialists to help guide the decision he and his family have made to keep playing, according to Rapoport.
Mike McDaniel said earlier this week that he expects Tagovailoa to resume play in 2024, but the Dolphins head coach has maintained keeping the 26-year-old's health at the forefront of all football decisions with the help of medical experts.
"It is exciting that I do believe he'll play football this year," McDaniel said on Monday. "I never went down that rabbit hole of if he would or wouldn't, just because I've learned through circumstance how that's the wrong question to be asking. The right questions are completely, 100 percent toward the human being and the player as a result."
Given Tagovailoa's history with head injuries, his return isn't a mere matter of clearing concussion protocol before returning to action. Returning to the practice field this upcoming week will be a big step in that process, which portends to be rigorously monitored along the way.
Coming off a Week 6 bye, the Dolphins (2-3) return to action on Sunday with a road game against the Indianapolis Colts. If all goes well afterward, they could follow it up with their franchise QB under center.
