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Miami Dolphins players were thrilled to see quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back on the practice field Wednesday, and perhaps no one was more excited than wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
This was Tagovailoa’s first practice since suffering a concussion on Sept. 12. He was placed on injured reserve shortly after and missed the last four games.
Tagovailoa, who led the NFL in passing yards last season, is now eligible to return from IR this week. His return gave the team a much-needed boost, and Hill was happy to reconnect with his quarterback.
“He looked great. Felt like old times,” Hill said. “Me and him connected on a few deep shots today, and that kind of got me feeling good today. I missed that and I missed him. I told him I’ve got to take him and his wife to dinner because I missed him so much. S— was so beautiful, that s— almost made me cry today like just having him in the lineup, having him call the plays, having him direct the offense, like just hearing his voice.
“I know that sounds crazy, but he’s a big part of this team.”
Dolphins Struggles Without Tagovailoa
Miami has struggled without Tagovailoa, going 1-3 in his absence. The Dolphins’ offense ranks last in scoring and near the bottom in yards per game during that span. Hill’s production has also taken a dip, putting him on pace for his lowest receiving yards total since his rookie season.
After practice, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said that almost every pass from Tagovailoa to Hill was on target, noting that when they’re in sync, it usually leads to big plays.
“It was beautiful. It was so beautiful,” Hill said. “I bet if you go ask every guy in this locker room, just say, ‘Hey, did Tua connect with Tyreek today?’ And if they say, ‘Yeah,’ the next question should be, ‘What was his reaction right after that?’ I just had a big cheese on my face because it just felt so good. Like y’all don’t know what it does to me.”
Hill and Waddle Praise Tagovailoa’s Accuracy
Tagovailoa was injured while trying to end a scramble against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Both Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that the quarterback needs to do a better job of protecting himself.
Hill joked that he and his teammates constantly remind Tagovailoa to slide when he scrambles, even suggesting that fans should cheer when he does. Running back Raheem Mostert echoed those thoughts, saying that while they can give advice, it’s up to Tagovailoa to make those decisions on the field.
“Oh yeah, we’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” Mostert said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better and moving forward, only he can control those things. We can say those things to him until we’re blue in the face, but one thing that I would say that’s always my saying is, ‘Hey, you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, right?’
“We’re going to bring Tua to that water, but we can’t make him drink. He has an understanding of that, and moving forward, he’s going to do his best.”
Tagovailoa’s Path to Game-Day Clearance
Tagovailoa was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. For him to play this Sunday, he’ll need to fully practice either Thursday or Friday. Once he completes a full practice, he will meet with an independent neurological consultant for final clearance.
Tagovailoa, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, said he’s been symptom-free since the day after the concussion, his third diagnosed one in the NFL.
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This report used information from ESPN.
