According to Ian Rapoport, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s hip injury is serious enough that it could keep him out of the wildcard round if the Dolphins manage to qualify for the playoffs.
Rapoport says Tagovailoa has a unique hip injury that affects the surrounding muscles and his strength and mobility, leaving him exposed to further injury.
That’s why Miami’s doctors haven’t cleared Tagovailoa to play the last two weeks despite the quarterback pushing to get on the field. It’s not just a pain tolerance issue.
“I think Tua wishes it was just a pain issue,” Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday. “I wouldn’t say it’s a bruise, but it’s kind of a unique muscle issue as a result of the hip.”
Tagovailoa said Friday he would play if Miami made the playoffs but the final decision is not up to him, per Rapoport.
Tagovailoa, 26, was selected with the No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 by the Dolphins. He signed a four-year, $30,275,438 rookie contract with a $19,578,501 signing bonus. He earned a base salary of $1,010,000 in the final year of his deal.
The Dolphins picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option worth $23,171,000 for the 2024 season.
From there, the team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth up to $212 million this offseason that included $167 million guaranteed.
In 2024, Tagovailoa appeared in 11 games for the Dolphins and completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
We’ll have more on Tagovailoa as the news is available.
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