Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa remains in concussion protocol and will not participate in Pro Bowl activities, according to report

Tua Tagovailoa will not be attending next week’s Pro Bowl activities as he is still on the league’s concussion record, according to ESPN. The Dolphins quarterback was slated as the first alternate to replace either Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, who face off in Sunday’s AFC title game.

Tagovailoa, who missed the Dolphins’ last three games after suffering a concussion in Week 16, has had no setbacks in his recovery as he continues to meet with multiple doctors and specialists. The Dolphins are moving forward with the expectation that Tagovailoa will be the team’s first quarterback of the 2023 season, general manager Chris Grier told reporters earlier this week. Grier added that doctors he spoke to told him they didn’t think Tagovailoa’s previous injuries would make him more prone to other head injuries later in his career.

In addition to his solid game while healthy, head injuries largely defined Tagovailoa’s 2022 season. He missed two games after suffering a concussion during Miami’s Week 4 loss to the Bengals. Tagovailoa returned to the field and helped the Dolphins win their next five games to go 8-3 on the season. His second concussion, sustained against the Packers on Christmas Day, eventually ended his season.

Tagovailoa’s injuries prompted the NFL and NFLPA to conduct multiple reviews of the league’s handling of head injuries. The league has since changed its concussion protocol as a by-product of these reviews.

When healthy, Tagovailoa looked like the player the Dolphins were hoping for when they picked him fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Alabama standout completed nearly 65% ​​of his passes this season with more than three times as many touchdown passes (25) as interceptions (8).

Despite Tagovailoa’s absence, Miami was able to sneak past the Jets in the regular-season finals to secure the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot. Skylar Thompson, a starting XI in Miami’s last three games of the season, including the playoffs, nearly led Miami to an upset win over Buffalo at Super Wild Card Weekend.

While his primary concern is his quarterback’s long-term health, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is optimistic while projecting Tagovailoa’s future path.

“He’s a great player who can only get better,” McDaniel said recently of his quarterback. “We’re talking about a 24-year-old quarterback who I think when I signed on for this job, I spent six months trying to convince people he was good.”