Following a difficult year that saw him land in the league’s concussion protocol twice, Tua Tagovailoa is not more susceptible to concussions than any other player, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Monday.
Speaking to reporters alongside coach Mike McDaniel in his final press conference of the 2022 season, Grier explained that he was told the positive news by doctors after the quarterback was diagnosed with concussions on two separate occasions this year.
Tagovailoa did not play in Miami’s season finale against Buffalo due to a concussion suffered during the team’s Week 16 game vs. the Packers. Rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson got the start and nearly led the Dolphins to an improbable upset, ultimately coming up short in a 34–31 loss.
While the two concussions that Tagovailoa has sustained this year have led to doubts about the 24-year-old’s long-term future in the NFL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Miami is expected to bring Tagovailoa back as the starting quarterback in 2023. Grier confirmed as much in Monday’s press conference, doing his best to quiet concerns about the health of the former first-round pick moving forward.
“Tua Tagovailoa is our starting quarterback,” Grier said. “Talking to doctors, we fully expect him back next year 100 percent.”
The Dolphins still have a decision to make regarding Tagovailoa, who recorded career-highs with 3,548 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes, along with just eight interceptions in 13 games played this season. The team has until May 1 to exercise the fifth-year option–worth $22.4 million–on Tagovailoa’s rookie deal or offer him a multiyear extension. The 2020 No. 5 pick is currently set to enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2023.
“Everything is on the table for us,” Grier said regarding Tagovailoa’s contract.
Amid the various injuries to their starting quarterback, the Dolphins managed to scrape out a 9–8 regular season record in McDaniel’s first year at the helm.
