What Tagovailoa is doing at Thursday practice. And Dolphins coaches answer key questions
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s status for Sunday’s game against the Jets remains in doubt, and what was witnessed on the practice field Thursday offered discouraging tea leaves.
During the 20 minutes open to reporters, Tagovailoa was seen lightly throwing a few passes while standing in a stationary position. Unlike Wednesday, he did not contort his body while throwing.
He was standing watching practice the rest of the time, with hands in his pockets.
The Dolphins have said they’re preparing as if Tyler Huntley is starting at quarterback at the Jets (4:25 p.m., Fox), while not fully ruling out Tagovailoa, at least not publicly.
In order to play, Tagovailoa would need to be cleared by doctors (he wasn’t cleared for the Cleveland game) and would need to show coaches that he could be functional playing the position on a bad hip. The Dolphins have said that Tagovailoa wanted to play but they would never use a player who wasn’t given the go-ahead by the team’s medical staff.
“He’s being aggressive with rehab and approach to get ready to play,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Thursday, with Mike McDaniel not speaking again until Friday. “But we’re making sure we put everyone in the best position possible.”
If Tagovailoa gets medical clearance to play, what would the Dolphins need to see to play him? Smith mentioned “movement and stuff,” noting that “everyone is working through something.”
What we learned
Asking and answering questions during a session with three Dolphins coordinators on Thursday:
▪ What’s the next frontier of improvement for rookie edge player Chop Robinson (who has 23 tackles and six sacks) and what will be the message to him this offseason?
“The biggest message is not to be satisfied,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “... Complacency is the cousin of death in this league. The last thing you want to do is be happy where you’re at because the second that happens, someone will pass you up.”
Weaver doesn’t expect that to happen with Robinson. But does he need to add yet another pass rush move?
“As a pass rusher, you are constantly adding tools in the tool box, seeing guys with similar skill sets and apply it to your game,” Weaver said. “The kid has every athletic attribute known to man -- fast, physical, can bend. His arm length doesn’t hinder him. Whatever he can take and utilize and apply, he should.”
▪ Did general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel have Weaver call Seattle coach Mike Macdonald, with whom Weaver worked in Baltimore, to get information on linebacker Tyrel Dodson after the Seahawks released him?
Weaver implied he reached out to Macdonald but said Grier and McDaniel “didn’t prod me” to ask negative questions.
“The potential was brought to me; you are asked to watch the player first,” Weaver said. “That’s when I chose to do a little bit of digging. Had some people in Seattle who had some really good intel.”
Dodson, filling in for Anthony Walker Jr., had 15 tackles and an interception against Cleveland and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
On Monday, McDaniel sounded pessimistic about Walker’s chances of playing this week.
▪ The Dolphins can activate one more player off injured reserve this week. So will linebacker Tyus Bowser or cornerback Cam Smith return this week? And how has Bradley Chubb been since learning the Dolphins won’t activate him this season?
With Bowser and Smith, “they’re not medically cleared to play,” Weaver said.
Regarding Chubb, “I hope Bradley gained confidence in the three week window he played football [practiced],” Weaver said. “I can’t say enough about the effect he’s had on Chop Robinson, coaching him up on the sideline. I can’t wait until he’s out there with us all the time.”
▪ How is Weaver preparing for potential head coaching interviews?
“I spoke to my agent last night. He said: ‘What are you doing to prepare for those opportunities?’”
Weaver’s response? “Absolutely nothing.”
He said his sole focus is on the Jets game and “just praying to get the help we need” – which means a Kansas City win against Denver, something (that combined with a Dolphins win) would get Miami into the playoffs.
“If we can get in, blessed with that opportunity, we can make some noise.”
▪ Right tackles Austin Jackson and Kendall Lamm are on injured reserve. Left tackle Terron Armstead’s status for Sunday is iffy with a knee injury.
So if the Dolphins are without Armstead and play rookie Patrick Paul at left tackle, would Jackson Carman be the starter or is it unreasonable to expect two players who have been guards all season (Isaiah Wynn and Liam Eichenberg) to play right tackle after not playing that position all year?
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith was non-committal but said “we have to go through all variables.”
Carman allowed three pressures and a sack in 50 pass blocking snaps this season, while filling in for Jackson and Lamm. Carman would seem to the front-runner to start (at right tackle) if Armstead is out.
“There was some good and some things he can improve upon,” Smith said of Carman’s previous work. “One thing about Jackson is he works his tail off.”
▪ Why has the running game been atrocious in six of the past seven games?
“We are one guy off,” Smith said. “The difference between positive gain, minimal gain, it’s this [small]. We were one guy off from having runs that are really cool.”
▪ Why did the Dolphins use Tyreek Hill as a punt returner against Cleveland for only the fourth time in his three years here?
“He’s an outstanding player, great with the ball in his hands, give us a spark, all the normal reasons you would assume the player would be out there,” special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said. “It went well. Anytime you have a playmaker of his caliber, the more you can get the football in his hands, it’s a good thing.”
Hill returned one punt for 18 yards.
Malik Washington returned 2 for 20.
▪ Do the Dolphins believe Washington will be their longterm returner?
“We really like him as a returner, like the progress he’s made this year,” Crossman said. “Longterm prospects of him are very good.”
Washington is averaging 28 yards on 11 kickoff returns, which ranks sixth among all players with at least 10 returns.
He’s averaging 7.4 yards on 18 punt returns, which ranks 19th among all players with at least 15 returns.
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM.
