Tagovailoa, McDaniel address hit to head. And injury news, Waller’s euphoria
Because of Tua Tagovailoa’a history of concussions, hearts of Dolphins fans fluttered when he took a forearm to the head on a scramble during the Dolphins’ win against the Jets on Monday.
“I guess everyone would be wondering how did I feel on that hit,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday of the play that drew a personal foul call on Jets and former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Francisco Mauigoa. “I felt perfectly fine, felt great.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, for his part, wasn’t upset that Tagovailoa ran on that third-and-8, because he slid, as he’s told to do. The personal foul penalty resulted in a first down.
“I was very happy that he broke the pocket to the left,” McDaniel said. “Him sliding, he kind of took the bull by the horns and I think once I saw him… slide, I think I was excited. I was pumped.”
McDaniel likes the balance that Tagovailoa has struck in scrambling when needed but also protecting himself as much as possible from head injuries.
“I was proud of his understanding,” McDaniel said. “I knew how locked in he was because making that decision [to try to protect himself] is critical to the team… I’m glad he kept himself available. The contact doesn’t necessarily make me nervous; it’s the direct contact that I would’ve gotten a little nerved up about.”
Tagovailoa, who has sustained at least three concussions in his career, mentioned Wednesday that he is eating more carbohydrates and drinking more fluids before games.
He suggested that might be a factor in why he did not sustain a head injury on the Mauigoa hit, though there’s obviously no way to prove that.
“You’d probably think it’d make you heavier or slow you down in a way for sure,” Tagovailoa said of eating more carbs on game days. “But… from what the doctors were talking about, is your brain kind of sits in fluids and if I’m eating eggs, bacon and sausage and there’s not much carbs — like if there’s no bread — you kind of drink water and it’ll just flush out of you. So you can’t stay hydrated that way, but the carbs kind of help soak that in and stay there.”
Injury report
Coming off a Monday night game, the Dolphins had a walk-through instead of a full practice on Wednesday.
Cornerback Storm Duck (ankle) and receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (knee) would not have participated if the team had practiced.
Cornerback Ethan Bonner (hamstring) and tight end Darren Waller (hip/rest) would have been limited.
The Dolphins say they were aware Wilson had a procedure while he was on the Saints’ practice squad and knew he would not be available this week.
Waller said he emerged from his Dolphins debut Monday feeling good physically. The Dolphins limited him to 16 snaps on offense against the Jets, but he expects that total to rise this week. He caught two touchdowns in his debut.
“The first touchdown throw to him was an eye-opener for me just given the length that he has,” Tagovailoa said. “In a way, that was a trust throw where I felt like, ‘Dang, that was high that I threw that ball,’ and for him to get up and make a play like that, kind of gives me more of an insight of what kind of ball I can throw to him if he’s ever coming across the middle, or if it’s a 1-on-1 matchup with him.
“The biggest thing that [offensive coordinator] Frank Smith told me is as long as you put it in his vicinity and you give him a chance, he should come down with it. Even in practice, when I tell you I’ve tried to do that purposely, too, he does come down with it and it’s pretty cool to see.”
Waller, who revealed that he sustained a strained quadriceps/hip injury during the preseason before re-aggravating it five days before the opener, said scoring two touchdowns and hearing the crowd erupt after a year in retirement was “almost euphoric, overwhelming almost but in a positive way.
“The energy is unmatched, I think that’s what makes the game so exciting. Those are just memories that you’ll never forget. It’s awesome to play football in front of a crowd and a rabid fanbase.”
Here’s my Wednesday piece with Dolphins personnel news, including more on the release of Cam Smith and the addition of Cedrick Wilson Jr.
This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 6:02 PM.
