Tagovailoa unlikely to play Sunday: More details on injury. And Armstead, Waddle updates
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to miss a second consecutive game with a hip injury, Mike McDaniel indicated Friday.
Tyler “Snoop” Huntley will start Sunday at the Jets (4:25 p.m., Fox). “We will approach it as if Snoop is starting,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel also offered more clarity on Tagovailoa’s hip injury, disclosing that it’s a “muscle issue” and not a bruise or hairline fracture or chip in the bone.
Though McDaniel said Tagovailoa has made “some progress” this week, he is likely not going to play on Sunday because he must “be able to have the strength to do what we ask him to do as well as protecting himself from a very serious injury.” And he cannot do either at the moment.
McDaniel said surgery would not solve the problem.
“It’s not a surgical solution,” McDaniel said, adding the goal is “to stop aggravating this by pushing through and try to regain strength” in the hip. That process, McDaniel said, takes “time.”
But have doctors told the Dolphins that Tagovailoa should sit out weeks and weeks to heal?
“It’s been more consistent check ins to see how far it’s gone and if it’s safe to play football in a responsible fashion,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa sustained the injury against the Houston Texans on Dec. 15, then aggravated it when he took another hit Dec. 22 against the 49ers. The Dolphins initially were hopeful he would heal enough to play last Sunday against Cleveland, but the hip did not improve and he wasn’t cleared medically to play.
Skylar Thompson, who’s on the practice squad, is expected to be Huntley’s backup at the Jets.
Tagovailoa closes the season with 19 TDs, 7 INTs, a 101.4 passer rating (tied with Josh Allen for seventh in the league heading into Week 18) and league-leading 72.9 completion percentage
Meanwhile, McDaniel said he’s optimistic about receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) and safety Jordan Poyer (knee/finger) playing Sunday. Both have been limited this week. Waddle missed the past two games with a knee injury.
▪McDaniel said he’s totally unsure if left tackle Terron Armstead (knee) will be able to play Sunday.
“Based on experience, it would be unfair to dismiss his ability to dig deep” and play, McDaniel said. “He’s a hard guy for me to rule out when he hasn’t thrown in the towel. I’m hopeful but I wouldn’t say I’m pessimistic or optimistic. I really don’t have a feel” if he’s playing and probably won’t know until 90 minutes before game time.
If Armstead cannot play, it seems likely that Patrick Paul would play left tackle and Jackson Carman would play right tackle.
Meanwhile, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. is out Sunday. Tyrel Dodson will again start in his place.
Receiver Tyreek Hill missed practice with an illness.
This story was originally published January 3, 2025 at 11:49 AM.
