Even Tagovailoa's brother in the dark

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remained away from Miami Dolphins meetings on Thursday, yet another indicator that his latest concussion will keep him sidelined for this weekend's trip to face the New England Patriots and possibly even longer.

Nobody knows when he'll be back. Not even his brother.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa — speaking Thursday in advance of today's Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina — told The Associated Press that he has offered his brother his opinion, but isn't sure what will happen next.

“Everyone has their opinion,” Taulia Tagovailoa said. “My brother, I know he works hard. I know he has a family now. I want my brother to be safe, but at the same time I know that he has a love and a passion for football. I feel like he is going to make the right decision. The biggest thing is staying safe, so that is something he has to pray on. I know when it comes down to it, he will make the right decision.”

It's not even clear when a decision will await the Dolphins' quarterback, or what that may be. He's in the NFL concussion protocol. Teddy Bridgewater is going through practices this week as the presumed starter for Miami against the Patriots.

The Dolphins, despite losing four straight games to fall to 8-7, remain in the final AFC wild-card position with two games remaining.

BIG TEN'S WARREN IN LINE FOR BEARS TOP JOB >> Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has spoken to the Chicago Bears about the vacancy at the top of the organization and is a candidate to become the team's next president and CEO, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the Bears nor the conference or Warren were making the discussions public.

Warren's resume includes multiple stops in the NFL and the Bears are searching for a president to replace the retiring Ted Phillips.

“We have not set a timeline for announcing Ted Phillip's successor,” the team said. “Our search team has cast a wide net, spoken to many outstanding candidates and looks forward to introducing our next President and CEO at the process's conclusion.” GIANTS' MCKINNEY PRACTICING >> New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney has returned to practice after missing seven games with a broken left hand sustained during the team's bye week.

McKinney was taken off the non-football injury list on Thursday. There is an outside chance he could play Sunday against Indianapolis. New York (8-6-1) would clinch a playoff berth with a win.

“Man, I want to get back big time,” McKinney said.