South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Tua, Bridgewater clear concussion protocol
Miami could be looking at 2 backup tackles again
Miami Dolphins quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol on Saturday morning, according to a league source.
Tagovailoa, returning from a concussion suffered in the team’s Sept. 29 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, is still being held out of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings as an extra precaution.
Bridgewater, who was never diagnosed with a concussion but still had to go through protocol as if he had one, is available to back up rookie third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson, who will make his first NFL start against the Vikings at Hard Rock Stadium.
Later Sunday afternoon, Bridgewater, who also is dealing with a right pectoral injury, had his questionable tag removed from the team’s injury report. He is set to be active versus Minnesota.
Tagovailoa is on track to return to action for the Oct. 23 Sunday night home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who is a senior defensive assistant/linebackers
coach with Pittsburgh.
Both Tagovailoa and Bridgewater increased their practice participation Friday to “full” on the team’s injury report after being limited previously. Tagovailoa got to the stage of limited participation Wednesday, while Bridgewater, entering protocol more recently, had to be restricted to aerobic work on the side of practice Wednesday before joining team drills and throwing Thursday.
Tagovailoa went through two blows to the head in five days in September. Before exiting the loss to the Bengals on a stretcher
following a sack from Cincinnati defensive tackle Josh Tupou, he also had his head hit the ground from the whiplash of a fall when he was pushed to ground after a pass in the Sept. 25 win over the Buffalo Bills by linebacker Matt Milano.
Tagovailoa did not sustain a concussion then but appeared woozy afterward, reaching for his head, shaking off the cobwebs and stumbling once he tried to get up. Nonetheless, Tagovailoa was cleared to return for the second half of that victory at Hard Rock Stadium and then to play the ensuing Thursday night in Cincinnati.
In the meantime, Tagovailoa’s clearance was being investigated by the NFL Players Association. While the league and union determined protocol was properly followed, it was not the intention of the league’s concussion policies.
A revision was made on Oct. 8, emphasizing signs of ataxia or gross motor instability as “no-go” symptoms that immediately disqualified a player.
Bridgewater was said by a spotter in last Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium to have exhibited a stumble at some point, although no cameras ever caught the instance. Because he was ruled out of the game under the enhanced protocol, he had to go through the week as if he was coming back from a concussion, significantly limiting what he could do in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
Jackson remains on IR
The Dolphins could be looking at starting two backup tackles on Sunday after spending most of the loss to the Jets with such a setup.
Miami did not activate right tackle Austin Jackson off injured reserve Saturday. He’s bound to miss his fifth consecutive game with an ankle injury.
The Dolphins’ Saturday roster moves instead involved the elevation of two practice-squad offensive tackles, Brandon Shell and Kion Smith.
That may not bode well for the status of left tackle Terron Armstead, who goes into Sunday questionable to play through his toe injury. Armstead did not practice all week, which has become the norm for him while still playing in games since injuring the toe in the opener against the New England Patriots. Last Sunday at New York, he started but exited after eight offensive plays.
Jackson returned to practice this week, but after participating in Wednesday and Thursday drills, he was not seen at Friday practice.
Greg Little has started in place of Jackson at right tackle. Against the Jets, when Armstead also went out, Little remained on the right side while the veteran Shell was inserted at left tackle. This alignment came despite most of Little’s career experience coming at left tackle and Shell exclusively playing right tackle in his career before last Sunday.
Saturday’s move marks Shell’s second elevation and Smith’s first. A team is allowed three before it has to sign the practice-squad player to the active roster. The Dolphins have elevated fellow tackle Larnel Coleman three times already.